Sylvia's Solitary Soldier
by KnighteWolfe
Summary: Sylvia Noventa x OC. Enough said. Rating probably will go up in later chapters.
1. Default Chapter

Hello again everyone, this is the Knightewolfe coming back atcha

with another Gundam Wing story for the masses.  This story is not going 

to be like my Gundam Wing x Robotech crossover 'The Run: G-Wing Style'.

It's going to be more like one of the regular fanfics I've read.  Hopefully, it

will be good enough for you to enjoy. This story will be non-yaoi and have 

the usual Gundam Wing pairings. I'm going to center this story about another

of the least written about characters from the series, Sylvia Noventa. 

Now I know that there are quite a few stories with Sylvia as a character but usually 

she is written in as a supporting character added in to the story as an antagonist 

of the Heero x Relena pairing.  As far as I know there is only one story that where 

Sylvia Noventa is the main character opposite everyone's favorite assassin.

Please sit back and enjoy. 

Disclaimer: I do not I own Gundam Wing. If I did, many of the good fanfics would already have been turned into episodes.  Multi-billionaire dollar corporations like Bandai, Sotsu Agency, etc, own Gundam Wing and its characters.

**__**

**_Sylvia's Solitary Soldier._**

**__**

Prologue:

A.C. 195.

The final battle between the forces of Peacecraft's White Fang and the Earth Forces lead by the five Gundam pilots will start soon.  He knew that and he knew what was expected from him. As he laid waiting on the derelict piece of debris from the destroyed Fortress Barge, the fifteen year old boy took his hands off the controls and flexed his fingers. Ignoring the sweat that was popping up on the digits as they tested themselves, he thought back to his final briefing before the start of the modified 'Operation Meteor'.

**_-"Listen, kid; the other pilots do not know about you. Your mission is similar to theirs, however if either of them show a sign of resistance, you will destroy them and their mobile suit before joining the other five as the Sixth Shooting Star.  Use your Gundam for the job it was built for. Create chaos whenever possible and support the others when needed.", came the voice of the dark-skinned man._**

****

**_-"I will director, but why are you going against the others Gundam creators, I do not understand that? You even argued with Howard, when he asked how you were doing?", asked the teenager as he pulled his gloves on. He liked the funny guy with the outlandishly colored shirts. _**

****

**_-"They refused to acknowledge the system upgrade I created for the suit they are too afraid to build. I was lucky to even get the original system and install it into your mobile suit. They figured that it is too dangerous to the pilot. Yet they don't know if any pilot can handle that system even if they were trained as well as you are. That lonely friend of yours has the capability to handle the Zero system but they don't want to risk installing it."_**

****

**_The boy nodded as he turned to climb into the cockpit of the dappled blue, black, and brown mobile suit standing as a silent sentinel behind the duo. He remembered the dark-haired blue-eyed boy who he had trained with years ago under the unrelenting hand of Doctor J.  The old guy had pushed his training to the limit and beyond while the man he had just turned from had allowed it. He had been told that the training was to eliminate the emotions completely from his mind. However, Doctor J had only succeeded in totally burying the emotions of the two boys beneath layers of walls and barriers the two children had built up. In the case of 01, the emotions we so well hidden that on occasion the young boy would go catatonic as he sat in his bare quarters. For the pilot designated originally as 06, then midway through this mission had been redesignated  as 07, his emotions had been buried but they leaked out in extremely stressful situations and only improved his shooting accuracy and precision._**

****

**_Ignoring the man behind him, the teenager looked at his mobile suit. It had a standard design along the lines of a combination of the Wing Gundam and Gundam Deathscythe, however, its main weapon was neither the stealth operations of Gundam 02 nor the all around operations of Gundam 01. The long weapon strapped crossways across its back told all that this gundam's specialty was long distance precision shooting. In other words, this gundam was designed and built to act as a sniper. _**

****

**_Putting on his helmet, the boy let his hand linger on the black leather necklace with the panther pendant and thought of the young girl he had befriended years ago while he and his guardian had been in _****_Italy_****_ on a reconnaissance mission. He had been enrolled in the elite academy near the _****_Alliance_****_ Base where several high profile targets were marked for elimination with the one shot that signified death. Numerous times over the month-long period, the boy had looked through the scope of his silenced rifle and seen an older officer with the rank tabs of a marshal on his shoulders taking care of a little energetic girl assumed to be either his granddaughter or great-granddaughter. _**

****

Now sitting in the cockpit of the sniper gundam, the boy couldn't resist thinking about her as something for him grasp in order for him to keep his own sanity. Last time he had seen the girl, she was pointing a pistol at 01. He had been there to take out an OZ major who was a bit too strategically intelligent for his own good. After the completion of the mission with the firing of the one shot, he had walked through the streets of the city reminiscing and had spotted pilots 01 and 03. Slipping into a deserted alley, the boy had watched as the two pilots separated; 01 was carrying a bouquet of flowers with his pistol hidden underneath while 03 had been at the wheel of a truck that was big enough to transport a mobile suit. Deciding to follow 01 and see what was going on, he followed him to a cemetery where a beautiful girl around their age was kneeling at a tombstone silently crying.  When the girl had risen to her feet and turned to the pilot, he had almost dropped the case with his scoped rifle. It was the girl he had often watched through another scope during his recon here when he was a student at her school. 

Hastily opening his case, the boy had hurriedly lifted the weapon and sighted through the scope at the head of his old training partner as he pointed his pistol at the girl. He held his breath as he waited for the inevitable shot. When it didn't come, the boy started to lower his rifle when 01 handed the weapon to the girl and demanded she take out her sadness at his mistake on him and pull the trigger.  Cursing to himself, he had brought the rifle back up to his dominant eye and shifted his point of aim to the girl standing next 01. Again he almost dropped the rifle when he recognized the light blond hair and expressful eyes.  It was the young girl he had played with when he was younger. Now she was an outstandingly beautiful young woman and he felt something inside of him slowly respond to the picture of beauty in front of him. 

Shaking his head, the teenager brought his attention back to the present and noticed that the battle had started. Lifting his rifle and taking it off safe, the young man took aim and started shooting the mobile dolls that attempted to take on his fellow pilots. He had taken out scores of the enemy from long range when he saw that a dark wine colored mobile suit stood atop Libra with a white Taurus suit nearby.  To him the pilot seemed to be waiting for someone. 

                "Epyon,  Miliardo Peacecraft, you asshole!", growled the young man as he unconsciously reached up and rubbed the left side of his chest where he knew there was a tattoo of  a panther.

Shifting his aim, the boy was about to take his shot when he saw Wing Zero arrive and alight on another section of Libra. Configuring, his communications system to eavesdrop on the conversation, he listened as the two exceptional pilots argued about the events going on. Every so often, a distressed and resigned feminine voice added to the conversation. 

                "Hmph, there goes another fatalist pilot breaking the heart of someone who cares for him. I hope he makes the right decision. I'm happy that I do not care that much for me. I have no one left to live for. ", said the pilot calmly and resolutely. 

Shifting his attention back to the space battle, he saw that it was almost over. Only the mopping up was left to the other Gundams.  Flipping the beam rifle's safety on, the pilot leaned back in his seat and stretched. As he was stretching, his main system picked up the signals being broadcast from Earth and the Colonies of the final battle.  For the next several minutes, he watched the battle between Zero and Epyon. When it was over and Miliardo Peacecraft defeated, the pilot slung his suits' weapon over its shoulder and prepared for his departure from his sniping position. He was in the final stages of lighting off his vernier engines when the man he only knew as  the 'Director'  cut into his communications channel and ordered him to not go and help Zero with the destruction of Libra before it crashed into Earth. 

                "But, Director, I must go and help them.  As a Gundam pilot myself it is only fair for me to help. Even Peacecraft is helping his former enemies."

                "No. That will not be necessary. Zero 0ne will take care of it. This is what he was trained for.  He has mastered the Zero system and it will help him. Even now pilot 05 has returned the double buster rifle to Heero Yuy. He has what he needs. For you; the system in your suit needs to be kept a secret. If the other pilots ever find out about it, they will consider you an enemy and peace will never return to the Earth Sphere. Return to base now, your Gundam is no longer needed.", stated the voice as it abruptly cut the circuit. 

The pilot angrily growled at the mention of the pilot of the Altron Gundam. The crazy bastard had damn near killed him when he blew up the academy at Victoria Base.  As it was, he had a slight scar on his shoulder from the piece of shrapnel he had received as he had scrambled away from the exploding cadet barracks where he had been staying in order to get a shot at the one known as the Lightning Count. His rifle had been set up on the roof of the building and zeroed in for when Zechs Marquise would debark from his aircraft.  Chang Wufei had screwed that plan up when he had detonated the barracks.  For a fleeting second, the asshole had been in the young snipers' sights as he fled on his stolen motorcycle and he had been tempted to put the smirking idiot out of his misery with a bullet in the brain, but had suppressed the urge. 

With his rifle slung, and his twin Gundam handguns holstered, the pilot let his anger get the best of him and grabbed the beam saber from its location in his suits left forearm, and angrily slashed through the barriers separating him from space. The saber hissed as the unearthly bluish-reddish blade cut through the durasteel, molten metal and hardened aluminum with ease. It only had slight problems with the Gundanium supports. 

Once out in space, he cut the blade off and replaced it in its holder.  Blasting off from the debris, he flew to a very secluded location where one of the first ever colonies floated in the cold darkness. Entering the capsule, the pilot walked the machine to its spot and shut it down. Sighing, he opened the hatch and decided to use the cable to get from the cockpit to the ground. He was beat and exhausted. Four days of no activity with his Gundam lying prone and powered down to the minimum life support required had taken its toll on the boy. Undoing his helmet latches, he lifted it off his face and shook his curly hair to dispel the remnants of the advanced Zero system clouding his mind.  With one last look at the inanimate extension of himself, he headed over to where the dark-skinned guardian waited with his hands behind his back. 

                "Mission Status: Mission Complete.", stated the boy as he stood ramrod straight in front of his guardian. 

                "Copy Mission Status Report; you are relieved of duty and are ordered to stand down from combat operations."

The boy nodded and turned to go, he was a step away when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Without turning around, he acknowledged the touch by stopping. 

                "It is time for you to live a normal life. Go to Earth for awhile. Enroll in school, do something constructive. This war has made you jaded. If you keep on like this, you will either find yourself committing suicide because you are a warrior without a war or you will end up like 01, unable to express your emotions further than the little bit you do."

                "I accept this new mission, director.", said the boy woodenly. 

                "Dammit, it's not a mission I'm talking about. It's your life. I do not want to see you dead by your own hand before your eighteenth birthday.", snapped the director.

A light dawned as he realized something.  Tomorrow was his charge's birthday. Deciding to do one thing special for the teenager, he told him to prepare their shuttle for departure before getting some sleep. The boy acknowledged and went to the small fast shuttle sitting at the other end of the bay.  Once there he proceeded to do all the checks required and then some to make sure their shuttle was space worthy. 

Forty-five exhausting minutes latter, he was done much to his guardian's surprise. It usually took the boy an hour to get finished.  With on last look at the dappled tri-color mobile suit standing silently in its designated location, the boy exited the bay and headed for his bare quarters. Once in the impersonal space, he stripped down to his boxers and wearily lay his body down on the thin pallet of sheets spread out on the cold hard floor. Indifferent to the deck's chill and hardness and with a thin threadbare blanket covering his form, the boy went to sleep. The last thing he remembered before drifting off was his hand on the pendant hanging around his neck.  His last conscious thoughts were of a blond haired willow of a girl who became an unknowing beauty. 

                _"Sylvia."_

Two levels up, the man known as the director, lowered the volume of the speaker he had on his desk. Taking off his glasses, he sighed as he played the child's last words through his mind. 

                **_"If he is going to live a long and productive life after this war, he needs to find someone who he can open up to so that the horrors he has seen will not torture him. If that girl can do it then he needs to find her and fast."_**

****

Several thousand miles away, a fifteen year old girl lay awake in bed at night and looked out her window at the stars twinkling in the night sky.  She thought over what she was going to do with her life now that the war was over. With her grandfather dead and her grandmother preferring to stay out of the limelight, the girl couldn't decide whether or not what to do. Part of her wanted to stay away from the political conflict she knew was coming while part of her wanted to jump into the fray with both feet and help keep the peace so that her name would not be synonymous with the Alliance horrors that preceded the war. The girl also didn't want her familial title of Baroness to bring about a new Romefeller Foundation and its trappings of the titled monarchists that had spawned OZ.

                **_"In one year, I'll decide what to do. Maybe I'll help Ms. Relena with her plans for peace.  I don't know.", _**_came the thoughts of the girl in the bed._

Little did she and the rest of the Earth Sphere know that within a year, the Earth Sphere and the Colonies would once again be at each others throats and embroiled in another mobile suit war. 

As she felt herself drifting away, the young baroness of the Noventa family felt her thoughts shift from the morbid direction they were headed to a lighter time in her past. Where as an eight year old girl, she found herself a chocolate skinned playmate who helped her get over the loss of her parents and moved in with her grandparents. 

                **_"I wonder where my dark knight is now. I wish I could see him again. It seems that ever since the death of grandfather, my only moments of fleeting happiness have come when I thought of him."_**

****

With images of a young boy with brown skin in her mind, Baroness Sylvia Noventa fell asleep. 

December 25 A.C.  196

Once again, the pilot of the sniper Gundam was taking shots at mobile dolls. Once again, somebody had tried to drop a colony on Earth.  This time, the Barton Foundation was trying to destroy Earth. Dekim Barton wanted to destroy the Earth Sphere and install his granddaughter as the leader of the planet. And again, the plan had failed. Now the pilot and his mobile suit had the suit's weapon was pointed at the Earth. With his rifle aimed and ready, the now sixteen year old boy waited for the word that would send the one fateful bullet that would either make him a hero or make him hated throughout the Earth Sphere. 

Minutes later, this short-lived uprising was over. And once again, the pilot of the Wing Zero had ended the war. Again he safed his weapon and departed his shooting spot. This time when he arrived at the base, he resignedly shut down his suit and was climbing down from the cockpit when his guardian rushed up to him and bodily lifted him up and bore him along to their shuttle; which he noticed was larger than before. 

                "Before you say anything, we need to hurry down to Earth and pick up the remains of those Gundams.  Once we get them we're bringing them back here and rebuilding them where they can be kept in case they are needed again. Plus, I don't want any other factions bent on evil to get a hold on those parts and rebuilding the gundams and the Zero system and using them for evil."

                "But director, why do we need to do that?"

                "But nothing, just get in the shuttle and let's go. We have about five days to gather all of those parts and bring them back.  Doctor J has sent me a message saying that there are several groups out to salvage those parts. We're the closest and can get their before any of the other scavengers. Now start the engines and let's go."

The boy acknowledged and did as he was told. Within minutes, the shuttle was on its way to earth.

                **_"I hope that peace will reign this time.",_**_ the pilot thought as the shuttle burned through space._

Then, making a course correction, the sixteen year old boy prepares for the job at hand.

**_And thus ends the prologue to 'Sylvia's Solitary Soldier. I hope you enjoy the beginning of the new series that I'm starting. I know that I should not be starting a new fic with at least four unfinished ones on my hard drive but this story kept me up for four hours the night before I started work on it. _**

****

**_I know that some of you are wondering 'Why Sylvia Noventa?'. My answer is 'Why not?' There are a few Sylvia stories out there but the majority of them either make her an evil character trying to steal Heero from Relena or they ignore all other pairings and pair Sylvia up with Heero (I'm slightly guilty of this as well, in my Robotech story, I pair Sylvia up with Trowa Barton.)._**

****

**_This story is a 'what if' kind of story that takes place after the movie 'Gundam Wing Endless Waltz' and basically focuses on what could have happened to Sylvia.  Please tell me how I do._**

****

**_Once again, thank you for reading and enjoy the story. _**

****

**_Knightewolfe_**

**_Wolfe's Lair. 12/03_******


	2. The Shooting Match

It's everybody's favorite nocturnal canis lupus returning with the next 

 installment of '_Sylvia's Solitary Soldier' Enjoy!!_

Disclaimer: '_Leaves his lawyer's office with some paperwork in his hand'_.

As my lawyer so forcefully told me, I still do not own Gundam Wing and its 

related characters. The only character that belongs to me is Devon Tanisius. You are

more than welcome to use him but please ask first. Thank you. Now on with the 

story!

**_Sylvia's Solitary Soldier_**

**__**

_Chapter 1: The Shooting Match_

A.C. 201 

Noventa Manor.

"BEEP….BEEP….BEEP….BEEP.", sounded the alarm clock on the dark oaken nightstand next to the queen-sized bed.

A delicate hand reached out from under the thick comforter on the bed and haphazardly reached around in an attempt to silence the annoying alarm. The alarm abruptly shut up when the hand was forcibly brought down on the top of the antique brass clock. In the sudden silence a load groan was followed by a poorly muffled yawn as the hand retreated back under the covers.  When the hand finally disappeared from view it was replaced by a pile of sleep mused blonde hair tied back in a simple braid.  A slight creak echoed in the room as the figure on the bed rotated her sock covered feet into a pair of fuzzy slippers sitting on the oval rug next to the bed.  Once the feet were securely in the house shoes, the covers were thrown off and the owner of the silken hair sat up and looked at the clock. The clock face showed 7:03 am on its analog face.

                "Dammit, seven o'clock never came this early before. Ugh, I feel as if I just went to sleep.", said Sylvia Noventa as she stretched  her arms in an effort to further wake up her body.

At twenty-one years of age, Sylvia Noventa had matured into a beautiful young lady. With her shortened slightly shoulder length blonde hair and her full figured curves; Sylvia was often in the news as one of the Earth Spheres twenty-five most beautiful women.  Of the twenty-four women ahead of her four were married, six were newly engaged, and eight were older. Of the six that were left, three were fashion models while the remaining three were the newly elected Foreign Minister, and two university professors. 

                'Ugh. What time did I actually go to bed last night? I cannot remember."

Shrugging her shoulders and putting last nights festivities, behind her, Sylvia climb out of bed and rose to her full five foot eleven inch height. After another few stretches, the twenty-one year old beauty walked over to the floor length window that led out onto the four foot long 'widow's walk, she'd had built to replace the balcony that had gotten destroyed in some of the final Earth based battles to end the Barton Foundation's bid to rule the entire Earth Sphere. 

On the way to the window, Sylvia picked up the warm terry robe she loved and used it to cover the wine colored full-length satin nightgown she had slept in.   Looking at the golden orb that was slowly starting its trek across the sky, Sylvia smiled. Today might actually be a good day. 

Turning from the window and heading over to her night stand, Sylvia picked up the remote and turned on the television. The chatter of the news announcer brought her fully awake as the stories of the morning were discussed in detail. Not surprisingly, the news of the recent election of Relena Peacecraft to the position of Foreign Minister was the headline. The morning's discussion was about how the new Foreign Minister had gotten married within hours of her taking the oath of office to her long time lover and body-guard. The press was upset that the new Foreign Minister had not told them that she was getting married. They were further incensed that the foreign ministers brother had married his fiancée and former OZ officer in the same ceremony. 

                "They need to go ahead and leave that alone. Relena had been engaged before she was even nominated to be the new Foreign Minister.  She was just as surprised as everyone else that her work as the V.F.M. had been noticed. Relena was grateful that the outgoing Foreign Minister had thrown his support behind her campaign.", grumbled Sylvia as she took a seat at her dressing  table and proceeded to brush her hair out. 

At the moment there was a knock on the door and Sylvia bade her personal maid to enter.

                "Good Morning madam and how are you doing this morning? Did sleep well last night, Baroness Noventa?"

                "Yes I did, Jan.  Thank you for the extra pillows. With them I felt a bit better. "

                "That's good baroness. A good night's always helps you start the day off well."

Sylvia nodded absently as she let the maid finished her brushing her hair and made her bed.  Getting out of the way of the busy woman, Sylvia made her way to her bathroom so that she could take her morning's shower.  Once in the bathroom, Sylvia closed the door and started the water in the shower.  Stripping out of her robe, dressing gown, and underwear, she stuck her hand in the running water and tested it. Satisfied with the heated temperature, Sylvia stepped into the black marble shower and proceeded to cleanse herself of the previous nights' party aftermath.

Forty-five minutes later, a refreshed and alert Sylvia stepped out of the shower and dried herself off.  Seeing the dainty lace panty and bra set sitting on the counter, she sighed in resignation. Her maid was always trying to get her to wear something a bit more feminine. Sticking her head out the door, Sylvia called:

                "Jan, how many times have I told you that I don't wear dainty frilly crap like this except for formal occasions? Can you please get a more sensible set out of my dresser?"

                "But Baroness Noventa, you might meet your future husband today. What would he say if he saw you didn't wear anything a lady of your station should be wearing?"

                "Jan.", said Sylvia warningly.

                "Yes baroness. I will do as you asked.", said the down-heartened maid. 

Jan went across the spacious bedroom to the dresser and opened the top drawer. Looking in the opened drawer, she found a gray pair of cotton briefs and a matching sports bra.  Carrying the set to the bathroom with a look of distaste on her pretty features, she handed the set to Sylvia. Sylvia accepted the garments and closed the door. Five minutes later, the door to the bathroom opened again and Sylvia walked out wearing only her sensible underwear. 

Seeing the dress that her maid had chosen for her to wear laying out on her bed, she groaned. It seemed that her grandmother was in one of her moods again and wanted to talk to her wayward granddaughter about her single status and what she planned to do about it. 

                **_"That means another stilted breakfast in the formal family dining room, again. Dammit, why can't she see that I'm not interested in any of the rich and titled boys she invites to these formal balls she likes to hold at least twice a month? I can never get any time to myself. With my recent job change, its going to be worse.", _**_mentally fumed Sylvia._

Indeed, the new Vice Foreign Minister had received several new invites to the many formal political functions she was expected to now attend.  The sheer amount had been staggering.  Mentally cursing Relena out, Sylvia put the dress on so that she could hurry up and get the meal and discussion done with. She had plans for the day and this breakfast was pushing them back.

                **_"I'll be lucky to even make it to the range at this rate. Dammit Relena Peacecraft!  Why did you choose me to be your successor as the Vice Foreign Minister when you knew that I didn't want the position?"_**

****

Slipping into the hated garment, Sylvia turned so that her smirking maid could zip the dress up.  When she was finished, Jan stepped back and admired the way the bright sundress set off her mistress's dusky skin color and blonde hair.  The color brought out the dark color of her dark green eyes. She did not understand why Baroness Sylvia hated wearing dresses or skirts of any type. With her full-figure and impeccable manners, Jan knew that Sylvia would be the perfect wife to whomever she chose to marry. Looking at Sylvia's bare throat, Jan narrowed her eyes as she saw her charge reach for a hated piece of jewelry. 

The jewelry in question wasn't anything flashy like gold or silver. Instead it was a handmade black leather thong with a panther pendant attached. Sylvia never went anywhere without that piece of jewelry and Jan could never understand why the elder Baroness Noventa allowed her granddaughter to wear something so cheap.

While her maidservant was fuming about her choice of accessory, Sylvia arranged the necklace so that the way the pendant hung; it barely touched the tops of her triple C cup breasts. She was still fuming at being chosen as Relena's successor. To this day, she still remembered the conversation in Relena's office.

_*Flashback*_

_Dressed in a white linen business suit, Sylvia Noventa stopped and entered the office of the ESUN V.F.M. Knocking on the thick oaken door; she recognized the voice of Relena Peacecraft._

_                "Who is it?"_

_                'It's Sylvia Noventa, Ms. Darlian. You asked that I join you for lunch today?", answered Sylvia._

_Sylvia heard a flurry of footsteps and was a bit surprised when the Vice Foreign Minister opened her own door. The surprise must have showed on her face because Relena commented on it._

_                "Oh, surprised? Sorry, I sent my secretary for an early lunch today and was busy with these papers."_

_                "Its okay, Vice Foreign Minister Darlian", replied Sylvia as she entered the plushly carpeted office of the youngest government official of the Earth Sphere United Nation._

_                "Call me Relena. We're both the same age. Besides, we have a mutual acquaintance.", Relena had stated with a nod of her head in the direction of the darkest corner of her office. _

_Squinting her eyes, Sylvia saw the pilot of the Wing Zero Gundam. He stood with his back against the wall, eyes closed, and his head bent down. She recognized the dark-haired form as a more masculine form of the boy who had handed her a pistol and demanded she take his life as retribution for his accidental killing of her grandfather. _

_                'Mr. Yuy. Nice to see you again At least this time circumstances are better than they were back then."_

_                "Hnn.", came the almost silent reply from the corner. _

_Figuring that that was all she was going to get from the man, Sylvia had sat down in the seat offered. The conversation that had followed had gone from girlish gossip to discussions of more important matters. The V.F.M. had just explained why her office was so well lit [So my bodyguard cannot hide in the shadows like he prefers] when their food arrived. It was in the midst of a discourse of Dorothy Catalonia's recent wedding to multi-billionaire Quatre Raberba Winner and the sudden rushing of the new Mrs. Winner to the hospital midway through the reception due to the breaking of the pregnant woman's water when Relena told Sylvia why she had called her here today._

_                "Sylvia, I know you are wondering why I asked you to join me today. You know that the Foreign Minister's election is coming up, right?"_

_Sylvia nodded so Relena continued:_

_                "It has become apparent that the Foreign Minister is pushing for my nomination as his successor when he leaves office.  However, he knows that I'll have a political battle on my hands for that position. The Foreign Minister also knows that I need a running mate who will uphold what I have started in this office."_

_                "I understand, Ms. Relena. You want my suggestions about whom you should choose as your successor."_

_                "No. The Foreign Minister suggested and I concurred that you shall be my running mate."_

_Sylvia had been stunned at the words that came out of Relena's mouth. She had entered the office expecting to be asked for her recommendations. Never once did it cross her mind that she was to be Relena's running mate and successor. _

_                "I'm ah… um. I'm honored Ms. Relena, but why me and why not somebody else?"_

_                "It is believed that your nomination and election as V.F.M. will give my ideas a better chance of being accepted throughout the E.S.U.N.  Now don't get the wrong idea that we are just using you as a way to get votes. I would never do that to you. If you're nominated and elected it would also give me someone my own age to talk to in meetings and it will show those old men that any other woman can handle the work. Plus, you'll appease the remnants of the Romefeller Foundation and the __Alliance__ because of your family ties and because you are titled in your own right."_

_Sylvia had slowed the discussion down by taking a bite of her salad to give her a chance to think about the offer. When she finished she knew that accepting this position would go a long way to keeping the peace. So after a moment's hesitation, she agreed to be Relena's running partner. The other blonde had smiled and dusted off her hands and rising from her seat._

_                "Good, now hurry up and finish your lunch. We have a press conference to go do."_

_                "What!!"_

_                "Yes. I called a press conference to let the public know about your choosing to be my partner."_

_                "You mean you knew I was going to agree to this?"_

_                "No, actually I though you were going to decline. If you had, I would have asked Lucrezia Noin to be my partner."_

_                "But, but but, I'm not dressed for a press conference."_

_                "Don't worry. It is better that the public see you the way you are and not as a Baroness"_

_Sylvia gawked as Relena helped her to her feet. Together the two women had headed for the closed door only to find that Relena's bodyguard had beat them to it and was exiting the room before them. In the elevator to the conference, Heero had told Sylvia that now that she was running, Sylvia would have Preventors agents assigned to protect her 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Sylvia had nodded while in a daze but she was still alert enough to catch her partner's frustrated grimace at her bodyguards' words._

_Before she could ask Relena about the grimace, the double doors in front of the trio had opened into a room thick with reporters and bright with camera flashes. The time for questions had passed._

_*End Flashback*_

Now fully dressed, Sylvia headed down the curving staircase on her way to breakfast. Waiting at the foot of the grand staircase was Thomas, the elderly butler who had been a staple here when her late father was a baby. Slightly older than his friend Pagan, Thomas had a slight frown on his face and Sylvia knew that her grandmother was not alone in the dining room.

                "Good morning Baroness. I do hope you had an enjoyable night's rest. Your grandmother and her guest are waiting for you in the dining room.", said the butler; her closest friend in the mansion. 

                "Guest, pray tell Thomas, who is grandmother's guest?", asked Sylvia as she accepted the arm the butler extended out for her.

                "A young diplomat by the name of Burnside has joined your grandmother in the dining room, Madam Noventa. Master Burnside seems to be well-mannered but I'm not sure about him. Be on your guard, baroness. I think your grandmother is angling to marry you off."

                **_"So, the matching making game starts. I figured that once I was elected and appointed V.F.M. I would be besieged by such things. Gah, now I hate this even more."_**

****

As she entered the dining room still escorted by Thomas, one of his subordinates rang a small bell as the door opened and announced her arrival.

                "Madam Noventa, Master Burnside may I present Sylvia Rene` Noelle Noventa; Thirteenth Baroness of the Noventa Barony."

Looking through the door and sighing at the formality, Sylvia caught a glimpse of a dark-haired man with an untrusting smile. Immediately on her guard as she entered, Sylvia reluctantly removed her arm from Thomas's and allowed the creep to escort her to her seat at the table. Once she was at her designated seat, the man (Whom, she had noticed, had tried to look down her dress as he walked her to her seat) pulled out her chair with a gallant flourish and letting her sit down before pushing it back under the table. 

Sylvia thanked the man as she had been taught and then looked down the table to the elegant silver-haired woman at the far end. 

Sophia Ophelia Noventa was a striking woman in her late sixties. Standing five foot ten inches tall with a nice face, the Eleventh Baroness of the Noventa Barony still turned heads and wielded vast amounts of power.  However, unlike most women of power who threw their power about as if it were their right, Baroness Sophia kept her power hidden until the time was right. When it was, she wielded it like a homerun hitter swinging for the fences.  Even today, dressed in a green velvet day dress with a matching shawl, the older woman shrewdly watched as her granddaughter studied the suitor she had chosen as if he was a bug under a microscope and she were a scientist.  She sighed when Sylvia ignored the man and reached for the knife to butter her piece of toast. 

                "**_What is it with that girl?_** **_She didn't acknowledge any of the men invited last night and now she won't even acknowledge this one's presence. I need to find her a husband soon before the other ladies of status start to gossip.", _**_thought Sophia._

Taking a sip from her porcelain teacup, Sophia signaled the butlers to bring in the meal. Since she hadn't been that hungry, she had asked that only a light breakfast be prepared  If it wasn't for this Joachim Burnside stopping by to get an early start on courting Sylvia, Sophia knew she wouldn't have even bothered to have the cook prepare a meal. She would have taken it upon herself to cook breakfast. 

                "Good morning, Sylvia. Did you enjoy the ball last night?", said Sophia in a stately voice.

                "Good morning grandmother. Yes I did enjoy it. Thank you for throwing it in honor of the election. Even though it was two weeks after the actual election, I am still grateful you threw it.", replied Sylvia.

                "I am happy you enjoyed it. I wanted to have breakfast with you this morning to discus your future.  Master Burnside here has requested my permission to court you and I have readily given it."

Sylvia shot her grandmother a dirty look that she ignored. Both women groaned when the look went unnoticed by the young man helping himself to the plate in front of him. Sophia frowned at his impatience while Sylvia rolled her eyes.  Resigning herself to a stilted meal, Sylvia bent to the task of eating. Besides, she was hungry and she knew that her plans for the day required her to have a full stomach.

Twenty minutes later, Sylvia was finishing up her delicious repast and trying to unobtrusively escape the dining room and small talk that her grandmother reveled in.   She noticed that the annoying young man sitting to her right seemed to enjoy talking with the elder baroness and had several bits of juicy gossip to share.  During the course of the meal, Sylvia had stopped the diplomat's wandering fingers under the table numerous times.  Finally a bit miffed at their continued hindrance, Sylvia had purposely jarred the table with her foot as the boring man reached for the crème thus causing him to spill it on his lap. With a false smile of contrition; Sylvia had apologized profusely for her 'supposed' error and attempted to leave the table.  Her grandmother's stern voice had put the kibosh on that escape plan. Now surreptitiously looking at the dainty feminine watch on her wrist (another of Jan's unwanted touches, Sylvia preferred her normal everyday watch with its myriad of uses instead of this piece of flash.), Sylvia sighed. If this breakfast went on any longer she was going to be late. Luckily her grandmother caught the sigh and asked what was wrong.

                "Nothing grandmother, I was just noticing the time."

Sophia was happy for the chance to interrupt the boy's monologue and had merrily seized upon the chance to shut him up. She knew that this would not be a good pairing, Joachim Burnside was too full of himself and Sylvia was bored out of her mind. Deciding to end the pitiful conversation before Sylvia resorted to something drastic (Sophia still remembered the time her granddaughter had thrown her plate and a full goblet at an obsequious man who presumed too much about her. That dinner had given Sophia a good laugh as she merrily had the rude man tossed out of the house), Sophia signaled the servants to remove the plates and utensils. Rising from her seat, glad that the peon diplomat had smartly pulled her chair out before going to pull Sylvia's out, Sophia asked Sylvia what her plans for the day were.

                "Grandmother, I have that competition I entered today and I am a bit behind schedule. May I please have my leave so that I may prepare?"

                "Yes you may. Please do tell me about it when you return. I hope you do pretty well."

                "Thank you grandmother, we will talk when I return."

                "I look forward to it, my dear.", finished Sophia as Thomas escorted her to her office. 

Joachim Burnside had a dilemma: either he could follow the elder baroness and continue their conversation, or he could inquire as to the competition the younger baroness made mention of and offer to be her escort. Deciding to do the latter, Joachim asked Sylvia what kind of competition she was planning on attending.

Sylvia froze the glare that attempted to appear on her face at the incompetent fools' presumption. Changing the glare into a smile, she turned around and told him.

                "Mr. Burnside, I am not observing, I am competing. The competition is the Earth Sphere United Nation's long distance shooting competition for the Khushrenada Cup.  I am the number two lady's long distance shooter in the Earth Sphere. Today is the day I will try and win the cup and take over the number one ranking from the person who has it. She's retiring after ten years as the number one female shooter among the Colonies and Earth."

                "Really, that is interesting. What is the longest you've ever hit the target?", asked Joachim.

Joachim fancied himself an expert shot (although anything past 500 yards he couldn't hit the broadside of  a barn) and figured that Sylvia was nowhere in his league. He smirked but it fell when the current Baroness Noventa cleared her throat and burst his bubble.

                "Master Burnside, Sylvia is accurate out to a thousand yards with a properly zeroed rifle. With one of her own personal weapons, I believe my granddaughter is accurate out to eleven hundred and fifty yards."

Joachim blanched as he mentally felt his pride go down the drain, while Sylvia turned an incredible red color and tried to hurry out of the room. Her grandmother had always known how to embarrass her. It didn't matter that her grandmother was slightly off.  With one of her own lovingly cared for rifles, Sylvia was accurate out to almost thirteen hundred yards.

Sophia grinned, she knew that she had scored a devastating hit to Burnside's arrogance and zinged her granddaughter's own pride. She was very proud that Sylvia had taken to her own hobby of shooting. Sophia was a champion skeet shooter in her own right and with her husband, the late Marshall Noventa, had owned several shooting records and titles  Recently, Sophia had been crowned the worlds all time greatest ladies skeet shooter for the seventh time. Although it had been a close run thing, Lady Une of the Preventors had given her a fight for the title and had only missed out by one and a half points. Une's adopted daughter, Mariamaia Khushrenada had scored her first title in her age group so Une hadn't gone home upset and had congratulated the older woman for a great match.  

Taking her reserved right for the last word, Sophia glided out of the dining room to her office. Once in the familiar room, she closed the door and sat down in the very comfortable executive chair behind the huge desk her husband had owned and leaned back. Rotating the chair around to face the window to the expansive back yard, she looked at the numerous pictures scattered the room. Several were of her and her husband at different functions over the years. A few were of her with her children when they were young. There was one of her firstborn son (Sylva's father) when he was five hours old. There was another where a baby Sylvia sat contentedly in her grandfather's lap.  Sitting in the place of honor on the desk was a picture that was fifty years old.  It was a picture of Sophia and a then Lieutenant Noventa on their wedding day.  Also sitting on the desk was pictures of the two of them wining several skeet shooting pairs championships. 

Sighing, Sophia shifted her gaze to another picture.  This one was of a twelve year old Sylvia winning her first shooting title. The preteen girl with the twin pig tails stood next to the table with her first place trophy and the rifle she had used to capture the title with.  Around her neck was the first place medal that went with the trophy; beside Sylvia stood her grinning grandfather, Marshal Noventa. He had given Sylvia the championship winning rifle when she was but nine years old and had patiently taught her to shoot after the death of Sylvia's parents in an assassination attempt on the Marshal's life. Next to that picture frame was another frame of the grandfather, granddaughter team as the won the second annual Alliance Father,-daughter shoot.

Deciding to break out her antique shotgun for a bit of relaxing shooting later, the Eleventh Baroness of the Noventa Barony, started to go through the mail for correspondence she needed to answer. Her daughter's birthday was coming up soon and if Sophia didn't finish clearing her desk of the work that piled up, she would never get to visit her youngest child for Christmas.

Meanwhile, Sylvia was trying to get rid of the pain in the ass Joachim Burnside without resorting to force. She had started up the stairs to her room only to have the young gentleman painfully grab her wrist. Accepting the hold with gritted teeth, she shifted her arm so that the wrist lock caused her less pain and turned around so that she could favor her guest with an smile tinged with malevolence. 

                'Yes, Master Burnside. As you can see, I am in a slight hurry.", said Sylvia through gritted teeth.

                "I understand, Baroness Noventa, will it be alright if you would join me for dinner later tonight?  I would greatly appreciate it if you did."

Sylvia thought for a moment although she knew what her answer would be. She just wanted to give him the illusion that she was considering it. She waited for the ignoramus to release to release her wrist before answering the question.

For his part, Joachim was waiting for the answer. He had a feeling that he knew what it was going to be but there was still hope.  He let go of Sylvia's wrist and straightened himself up and awaited her answer. Out of the corner of his vision he saw that the elderly butler had appeared and was standing slightly behind him. 

                "Thank you for the invitation, Master Burnside but I will have to regretfully decline tonight. I have some other plans for this evening. Now good day to you kind sir.", came the answer.

It took a minute to realize that he had been turned down for the first time in his life and he reacted without thinking.

Sylvia took a step but felt herself pulled back when the diplomat's hand again latched on to her wrist. Stopping her tumble with a hand on the wall, she whirled around prepared to dish out some pain of her own. Sylvia stopped when she saw that Thomas had everything well in hand. 

Joachim was confused. One moment he was reacting to her words and reaching out for her wrist. The next he was on his back on the floor with a wicked pair of single-shot derringers pointing at his eyes in an unwavering manner.

                "Master Burnside, I would hate to have to damage Madam Noventa's lovely white carpet by spilling your blood. Blood is a terrible thing to unwillingly spill all over the carpet and is an annoying stain to clean up.  I believe that the young baroness dismissed you, Master Burnside.  I will kindly escort you to the door but do not test my patience sir. Although I am aged, I am still an expert shot.", came the voice of the butler.

Joachim nodded and the two derringers disappeared into thin air.  Accepting the proffered hand, he tried to exert a small amount of pressure to remind the butler of his standing in the household, only to find his attempt halted before it was even started.  His hand was grasped in a grip of iron and it was slowly and inexorably exerting an amazing amount of pressure in its own right. Looking at the butler, Joachim saw that the old man was stronger than he looked at first. Accepting his defeat, he nodded and allowed himself to be lead to the door.  At the door, Sylvia chimed in:

                "It was nice meeting you Mr. Burnside. Maybe we can chat again later."

He wasn't going to answer but a not so gentle nudge with a pistol barrel changed his mind. 

                "Another time baroness, it was an honor to meet you."

Sylvia watched as the strutting peacock disappeared out of the door.  Waiting for Thomas to reappear, she undid the button at the back of her dress above the zipper. When Thomas reappeared, she asked him to bring her car around to the front.

                "And Thomas, did you have to scare the poor boy like that. I doubt if he had ever met one of grandfather's inner security circle before.  By the way, where did you stash the pistol, Thomas?  Even I didn't suspect you were carrying anything but your usual derringers.", asked Sylvia.

                "Ahh Baroness Noventa, a true operative never gives away all his secrets.", answered the butler with a straight face.

Knowing that she wasn't going to get anything else out of him, Sylvia continued up the stairs to her room. Once behind her closed door, she unzipped her dress and kicked it off. Strolling over to her closet, she reached in and pulled out a forest green-long-sleeved shirt with a big leather patch on the right side.  Carrying it over to the bed, Sylvia went over to her dresser and pulled a pair of matching corduroy jeans out and proceeded to slide them up her slim legs.  Once the jeans were on but not fastened, Sylvia opened the second drawer of her dresser and pulled out a black t-shirt and put it on. Over the t-shirt she put the shirt on and adjusted it so that the padding under the leather was correctly positioned so that her rifle wouldn't cause a bruise when it recoiled.

When her shirt was fastened and tucked into her snapped, zipped, and belted pants, Sylvia went to her closet and pulled out her favorite pair of boots.  The pair in question was a pair of comfortable fitted combat boots she had gotten from her grandfather shortly before he died. They were rugged and could take a beating. With the boots in hand, she returned to her dresser and pulled a pair of thick dark colored socks and carried them to the freshly made bed.  At the bed, Sylvia sat down, dropped her boots on the floor, and proceeded to put the socks on and pull them up on her firm calves.  Once the socks were on, Sylvia reached down and picked her right boot up. Loosening the laces, she slid her foot in with a minimum of trouble. Once the foot was situated, she tightened the laces from the bottom up before tying them at the top and letting her pants leg drape over the top of the well broken in footwear. The action was repeated for the left boot. Now fully dressed, the twenty-one year old woman rose from her spot. 

Walking around her room, Sylvia reached to her right wrist and pulled the delicate watch off and placed it on her desk. Before reaching for the other watch sitting on the wooden room fixture, Sylvia looked at herself in the mirror and flashed herself a dazzling smile. Minutes later Sylvia walked out of her room with her shooting gear bag over her shoulder. 

At the foot of the stairs, the vice foreign minister turned in the opposite direction of the dining room and headed for the family armory.  Keying in her code, she waited for the two foot thick door to open on its silent hydraulic hinges.  Once it was fully open, she entered and headed straight for the wall on the right side. 

Now the Noventa family armory was divided into three sections. The wall on the left as you entered had belonged to Sylvia's parents and the transparent fireproof and bullet proof door was still locked shut. Sylvia couldn't open it if she wanted.  The wall at the back of the vault held her grandparents many different shotguns. Only Sophia had the code to open that wall. The wall of the right side belonged to Sylvia herself. On the wall sat Sylvia's ten rifles.  Many of the pieces in her collection were rare and hardly ever fired. In the place of honor at the top was the rifle she won her first tournament with. She only took it down when she was feeling nostalgic. 

Going over to the open wall, Sylvia reached up and pulled down the brown bolt action rifle on the third row.  Putting it on the metal table in the center of the room, Sylvia went back to the wall and reached up for another rifle hanging on the far side. 

With her chosen weapons on the table, Sylvia keyed in the code to close the shutter-like transparent cover over her rifles.  When the shutter was closed, Sylvia turned her attention to the two long weapons sitting on the table.  Turning her attention to the bolt action rifle first, she did a thorough inspection to make sure it was unloaded and in the safe position. Picking it up and dry firing it a few times, Sylvia deemed it ready. She'd deal with the scope at the range.  Laying the rifle down on the table carefully, she reached under the table and pulled out a hard carrying case.  Sitting the case on the table she opened it, picked up the rifle and placed it on the soft foam lining being careful not to jar the scope from its mounting point. She had done that once before and the resulting variance had torpedoed her first chance to become the number five female shooter.  She still mentally beat herself up over that screw-up.

Shifting her attention to the weapon sitting on the table, Sylvia sighed in appreciation. It had taken her forever to get this weapon and she had salivated over it when it had been delivered.  The black metal looked menacing from the empty clip to the large matte black scope sitting on top of the receiver.  Doing an even more thorough inspection of this rifle, Sylvia felt her blood race. This would be the first match she had used this rifle in and only the third time she had ever fired it. 

Finished with her inspection, she placed it next to its sibling in the case and closed the lid. Snapping the latches and dialing in the combination, Sylvia turned to the ammunition locker by the door and opened it with her key. Seeing the rounds she needed for both rifles and picking out four boxes of them, she placed the boxes into her gear bag with two bottles of gun cleaner. Other things added to the bag were three extra eight round clips for the semi-auto rifle, an identical number of five round magazines for the bolt action rifle, her sight adjusting tools, numerous rags both clean and dirty, some patches for when she needed to clean the bore, her ear protectors, spotting scope, shooting glasses, and her gloves.

When the bag was full, Sylvia turned to leave the vault but not until she glanced at the wall that held her parents rifles and looked longingly at the huge rifle at the top of the wall.  The weapon in question was beautiful to Sylvia. It was a bolt action that had a huge five round magazine hanging from the bottom.  Sylvia had never gotten the chance to fire that monster and she wanted to.  For the umpteenth time, Sylvia wished that her vault code had the authority to open the shutter on that wall.  Just once did she want to caress that big behemoth of a rifle! The sound of a cleared throat brought her back to the present.

                "Sylvia, you know I cannot and will not program the system to authorize the opening of that shutter upon receipt of your code until I think you are ready to handle that rifle.", said Sophia sternly. 

Sophia had finished up with the majority of her correspondence and had decided to go do some shooting of her own.  Going to the master bedroom on the ground lever of the house, she had changed into a pair of slacks and her own shooting shirt before heading for the weapons vault. Seeing the door standing open, Sophia had spotted her granddaughter again looking at the fifty caliber hunting rifle her father had cherished. 

                "I know grandmother. I just wish that I didn't have to wait so long. ", sighed Sylvia as she turned to face the elder Noventa Baroness.

No more words were spoken because at the time, Thomas had cleared his throat and mentioned that the younger baroness's, car was waiting out front.  Sylvia thanked him and put on the jacket he held open for her before taking a hold of her rifle case and her gear bag and heading towards where her convertible sports car waited with its engine running. 

                "Good luck Baroness Sylvia.", stated Thomas as Sophia added her own good luck wishes to her granddaughter. 

Sylvia said goodbye to them both and headed out champagne colored car. 

The two adults watched as the young  vice foreign minister  climbed in the car after carefully placing the rifle case in the trunk and dropping her gear bag on the seat next to her.  Sylvia pulled her sunglasses out from their space and settled them in front of her eyes before shifting into gear and pulling out of the circular driveway. With one last touch to the pendant at her neck, Sylvia pulled out into traffic and headed for the tournament range.

Across the town from where Sylvia Noventa was happily singing at the top of her lungs to while on her way to a shooting tournament, a dark-skinned twenty-one year old man was climbing into his own vehicle on his way to the same tournament. Dressed in black military cargo pants, highly polished black jungle boots, and a black polo shirt; Devon Tanisius looked at the sun and judged how the weather was going to affect his shooting today. 

Standing six foot one inch tall with piercing brown eyes hidden behind his pair of prescription glasses where the lenses transitioned to the amount of light outside. Right now the lenses were almost opaque. Closing the door to his very secure apartment in a bad part of town, the thin yet muscular man pulled the remote unit out of his pocket and checked the screen to see the status of his seriously high tech alarm system before heading around the corner to the dirty jeep parked nose out.  

Going around to the back of the jeep, Devon placed the case carrying his battle-scarred rifle in the back before taking a hold of the roll bar and swinging his body up and in to the driver's seat. Putting his key in the ignition, he started the jeep and let the engine run for a few minutes. As the engine idled, Devon reached under the dash and pulled out the twin handguns hidden there and placed them on the seat next to him. 

If his neighbors knew who Devon Tanisius was, they would be suitably scared.  Instead of the low level Preventors agent they thought he was, his neighbors (those that survived their own nosiness) would be scared that the nice solitary guy who didn't cause any trouble was in actuality the seventh Gundam Pilot.  

Devon grinned at the though of what his neighbors would think if he was to reveal his true identity. 

                **_"Life wouldn't be dull around here anymore.",_**_ mused __Devon__ as he put his jeep in gear and pulled out of his chosen spot._

During the wars, Devon had been the pilot of the Gundam Wildstar; the sniper mobile suit.  Several kills attributed to either of the other five Gundams or the Tallgeese mobile suit were actually sniped from Devon's dappled black, blue, and brown mobile suit.  In fact, one of the shots that hit Fortress Barge hadn't been fired by any of the other mobile suits. He had fired it and watched as the bullet aimed true and struck the station two seconds before the base's cannon had exploded from a 'supposed' power flux (he had caused that as well with another bullet that was off target.).  

At the close of the last war, Devon and his guardian the mysterious Director Z, had salvaged all of the parts of the destroyed gundams of the other pilots.  In a very secure and very well hidden abandoned colony sat the rebuilt Epyon, Wing Zero, Wing Gundam, Tallgeese III,  Sandrock, Sandrock Custom, Heavyarms, Heavy Arms Kai, Deathscythe, Deathscythe Hell, Altron, and Shenlong, Gundam mobile suits.  At another location in another abandoned colony sat his Wildstar Custom mobile suit with is signature long rifle.  After rebuilding the suits and installing the deadly Zero system into Epyon and Wing Zero, the colony had been shut down and again abandoned. However, Director Z and Devon had installed a rudimentary propulsion system and had moved the colony into the midst of a debris field where nobody would see it. Once their shuttle was away from the colony, the pair had committed the coordinates to memory, and wiped the shuttles' navigation systems memory.  To further keep the secret, the colony's control module had been separated. Devon had gotten the module's inner workings while Director Z had gotten the module itself with its semi-functioning abilities.

Devon was told that if he were ever to receive the module case in the mail, he was ordered to reveal himself to pilot 01 as a gundam pilot and do anything possible to keep the suits from falling into the wrong hands. However, he was also ordered to not turn over the module for it had another secret. A secret only Devon knew. 

The secret of how to activate the most deadly mobile suit system in existence; the secret to the Wildstar's combat system: The Sigma System, an upgraded version of the Zero System and as such, even more deadly to the pilot than the Zero System.

The Sigma System did everything the Zero system did except it was enhanced exponentially. Not only did the pilot have to fight the hallucinations that the Zero System caused, he had to deal with the fact that the system chose the correct course of action no matter how hard the pilot fought it. And in the whole of the ESUN, there was only one pilot who had mastered the Sigma System.

Devon Tanisius., the pilot of the Seventh Gundam. 

Once the idle of his jeep had settled, Devon shifted into gear and pulled out of the parking lot. Cruising through the city, the young man thought back to the invitation he had received in the mail a week or so back. At the time, he was relaxing after a hit he had done at the request of Director Z. The hit hadn't been that complicated, it was just escaping that had been complicated. For the first time in his long sniping career, Devon had been spotted as he had taken the shot and the noisy bastard had pointed out exactly where Devon was holed up, thus reducing Devon's usual gloating time from the usual ten minutes to less than five. The resulting gunfight in the deserted hallways of the abandoned hotel had ended up with ten rebels dead, two seriously wounded, another eight arrested for terrorism.  Devon had ended up with three superficial wounds, an annoying bullet hole in his leg, and a non serious lower abdomen wound that he had to come up with a credible story for his superior when he returned from the 'vacation'.

As he had recuperated in his apartment, Devon had noticed the envelope asking him to be a judge for the tournament. At first he had refused but Director Z had suggested he accept the invite if he was allowed to do a long distance shooting exhibition.  The committee had readily agreed and a couple of days after he had changed his mind, a package arrived by courier at Devon's apartment. When he had opened the plainly wrapped case, Devon was surprised to see one of his sniper rifle cases. The rifle in question had arrived in a scratched up dull green case. When he had opened the case, one of his four .50 caliber rifles was nestled inside.  

He admired his rifle for a minute before lifting it out of the case and inspecting it to see what shape it was in.  At first he was happy to have one of his favorite rifles, that happiness was soon tempered by the nearly decrepit condition of the rifle. The barrel was dented in numerous places; the stock was scratched in some place and had cracks in others.

Devon had shaken his head in frustration and carried the rifle over to the old table sitting in his small dining room and proceeded to clean up the outward appearance.  Temporarily repairing the smaller cracks and leaving the other damage to a professional, Devon had regretfully sent his rifle to be repaired. For a week and a half it was out of his hands and he hated it. The Preventors had few fifty caliber rifles and he spent the majority of the week taking out his frustrations on the range with the ones they had in the armory.  Unfortunately all of them had problems and his groupings weren't as tight as he was used to. 

His rifle had returned from the shop two days before the tournament and Devon had spent the entire previous day sighting it in and doing the personalizing that brought it up to the accuracy he preferred.  By his strict instructions, the gunsmith had kept the semi-shabby look but had custom built a barrel to withstand the rigors of repeated firings of its fifty caliber ammunition. 

Now driving through the city with his favored rifle in the back of his jeep, Devon was in one of his rare good moods.  Doing the speed limit while keeping alert, Devon enjoyed the cool breeze flowing through the open top jeep.  Devon grinned in a carefree manner. The grin faltered a bit when his stomach growled in anger. 

                "Yeah, I know. You're empty and need to be filled. Lets stop someplace and get some fuel for both you and the jeep.", he told his recalcitrant stomach.

Pulling into the first fast food restaurant he came too, Devon ordered a pair of burgers and a large juice to wash them down. When he had paid for his food, he had pulled out of the drive through and continued on his way.  As he drove, Devon ate his burgers and drank half of his juice. He finished up the drink as he was pulling into the parking lot of the range at the edge of town.

Choosing a spot and puling in, Devon shut down his engine, hopped out of the jeep, and grabbed his rifle case as he went to sign in.  Walking up to the table, Devon found on of the competition organizers.

                "Good morning sir. How may I help you?"

                "My name is Devon Tanisius and I am supposed to judge the long distance open category. After that, I'm supposed to give an exhibition on extreme long distance shooting."

                "I see. Well Mr. Tanisius, all you need to do is sign right here and head on in. Here's your officials nametag and judging clipboard.  The open class will be setting up on range nine in about twenty minutes.  For your exhibition, you will be using range seventeen.  It has a distance of 1800 yards. The exhibition will be around five o'clock after the medal ceremony. Welcome to the competition sir."

Devon accepted his clipboard, nametag, and other judging paraphernalia. Shifting the conglomeration to the hand holding his case, Devon thanked the official. He had a frown on his face after hearing the length of the range he would be using for his exhibition.  It was a bit short for his planned demonstration. 

                **_"Dammit, I need a range with a minimum length of 1900 yards, especially when my target will be at 2100 yards. I hope there is someone I can talk to either find a longer range or reposition my target at the correct distance."_**

****

Deciding to wait till later to find somebody to talk to about the length of range seventeen, Devon went to put his rifle away in the area provided. Once that was done, he grabbed his judging equipment and headed over to range nine to see some of the people he would be judging on accuracy and precision.

Over on range nine, Sylvia had set up her semi-automatic rifle and was attempting to zero it in on the distant targets. After arriving an hour or so before, Sylvia had signed in and gotten her range assignments for both classes she was competing in.  Once her bolt-action rifle was sighted in, Sylvia had taken the time to peruse the program. She was intrigued by the extreme long-distance shooting demonstration that was going to be given and planned to be in the front row for that event.  

Putting her plans for later in the day in the back of her mind, Sylvia took a deep breath and rotated her selector switch from 'safe' to 'fire'. Taking another breath, she sighted on the target 800 yards downrange. 

When she was sure of the sight picture Sylvia exhaled and put her finger on trigger. Taking in a third deep breath, she released half of it and started applying pressure on her trigger. Midway through the exhalation of the remaining breath, Sylvia felt the rifle buck against her shoulder as it fired the well aimed round. 

Lifting her head from the weapon and lowering her hand, Sylvia shifted her head so that she was looking at her target through the spotter's scope.

                "Hmm, that was a pretty good shot if I do say so myself. Let me go ahead and get this zeroing in finished so that I can stretch a bit and head over to range two and prepare for the women's shooting competition.", said Sylvia to herself. 

Returning her head to her rifle scope and taking her position again, Sylvia quickly fired off the remaining nine rounds to complete her zero session. Looking through the spotter's scope again, she saw that her groupings were still pretty good and decided to leave her scope settings as they were. Sylvia was about to climb up from her prone position when a voice came from above and behind her.

                "You need to adjust your windage a slight bit; the wind will be coming out of the southeast at around 7 knots. If you leave your settings the way they are now, your groupings won't be as tight as they are now."

Sylvia scrambled to her feet while dusting her jeans off with her hands. Turning her attention to the owner of the voice, she saw his judges' nametag and groaned.  She really didn't want to get into an argument with a judge before her competition in the open class. He could really screw up her chances of winning if she did.

                "Why do you say that?", asked Sylvia.

                "The forecast said that the wind was going to shift early in the afternoon. The open class competition will just have started when the wind shifts and conditions won't be optimal for the settings you've chosen."

Sylvia nodded and mentally made plans to change her settings before taking her first shot.  Taking another look at the young man, she asked if he wanted to join her for a quick drink or so after the competition. Devon declined but agreed to walk with her over to the refreshment stand for a bottle of juice. Five minutes later the two were enjoying their drinks when the P.A. system called for all competitors in the ladies class.

                "Well, sir it was nice meeting you. I do hope to see you again later and I definitely plan on being there for your exhibition. By the way, I did not get your name?"

                "It's Devon, Devon Tanisius. What about yours?"

                "I'm Sylvia Noventa, Mr. Tanisius."

Devon's mouth threatened to drop as he shook Sylvia's hand and it took all of his training to keep it from doing so. He was talking to the new Earth Sphere United Nation Vice Foreign Minister. This was a surprise to him. Like everyone else in the ESUN, Devon had known that Sylvia Noventa had been elected to the position of VFM; however he hadn't been expecting that the new vice foreign minister was a shooting aficionado.

                **_"This is interesting. I guess I'll have to put this bit of info in my mental folder."_**_, thought __Devon__._

Regaining his composure and tossing it off, Devon followed Sylvia from the concession stand as she headed for range two. When she arrived at her range, he stayed for a few minutes before heading off to zero in his rifle.  With his back turned, Devon didn't know that Sylvia had turned and watched him walk off. 

As she left the stand, a sixth sense had told Sylvia that she was being followed. It took several quick glances behind her to see who it was.  Recognizing the judge she had just talked to, he relaxed although another part of her mind wondered how he was so good at figuring out when she was going to turn her head to look. She only saw him because he happened to get caught up in a short conversation with another official.

                **_"Damn he is good. I wonder how he got to be so good at following people. His bearing says that he was a soldier during the war, but it is improbably because he is around the same age as I am.  I know it isn't impossible just look at the Gundam pilots; the five of them are around my age as well. So I wouldn't; count it out about him though."_**_, mused Sylvia as she walked towards range two._

As she got nearer to the range, Sylvia's thinking switched from curiosity about Devon Tanisius and what he did during the wars, to how to welcome home Foreign Minister Yuy and her husband along with Crown Prince Peacecraft and his wife. The two couples had managed to keep their honeymoon plans very secret the only people who knew were the head of the Preventors and Sylvia herself and Sylvia's knowledge of the plans had been kept below the radar that the press didn't know that she knew. 

The Vice Foreign Minister chuckled at the memory of two unlucky tabloid reporters who managed to hack the Preventors files trying to find the info they wanted. However, they had been caught and sentenced to two years in prison. They would have found out if the Preventors hadn't gotten an anonymous email that alerted them to the attempt by the reporters.  The tip off had galvanized the force and their two best hackers, Hilde Maxwell and Midii Barton, had traced the attempt. Sylvia had been in Preventors Headquarters when the two had been brought in after a midnight raid by Preventors Chang and Maxwell. 

Lady Une had called a press conference that day and paraded the two nosy reporters in front of their coworkers before appearing as her alter ego, Colonel Une and ordering that the press leave well enough alone or she would have her people confiscate every piece of equipment from printing presses to pencils at from ever last news company if they were caught attempting to find out very classified information.

                **_"Hmm, Relena, Heero, Miliardo, and Lucrezia arrive the day after tomorrow from their honeymoons. What should I do to welcome them back? I know they would want their friends to be there along with Lady Une and Marimaia. I also know that they would want it to be low profile with no press but I need to do something. I know. I'll have them picked up at the airport and helicoptered to my house where I can have them chauffeured to the palace.  Yeah. I'll have Thomas get in touch with Pagan tonight and set it up. In fact, I can probably get them to enjoy breakfast at Noventa Manor."_**

Sylvia arrived at range two and pushed her plans out of her mind for the time being and shifted her concentration to the matter at hand. 

Over on range seventeen, Devon was zeroing his rifle in and enjoying the feel as the big weapon kicked against his shoulder with every shot. Right now he was getting his scope adjusted to the distance he planned to shoot at for the exhibition. Ignoring the people behind him and those in the galley below his rifles location, Devon fired shot after shot into the target 6600 feet down range. He was about to empty his second clip when his personal communicator went off; surprising him and causing him to jerk his weapon off target just as his trigger broke.  Frantically trying and failing to get the unwieldy rifle back on target, Devon swore as he saw through his scope that his round hit way off the mark. 

                "Dammit!!! Who is calling now?", cursed Devon as he pulled the communicator out of his pocket and looked at the number. 

Seeing that it was the number from Lady Une at Preventor headquarters, he swore again. Knowing that he had to answer the phone or risk another reprimand from the Colonel (he hated those. The last one he got from Une had him seething for three days straight all because one of his fellow Preventor snipers had bungled his orders badly and almost gotten the ESUN President assassinated. Luckily after the bitch and moan session, Director Z had alerted him to a hit that was definitely needed.)

                "Preventor Tabris, what do you need commander?", Devon asked.

                "Preventor Tabris, we just received word that the Foreign Minister Yuy and Crown Prince Peacecraft will be arriving early Monday morning. This is an alert for you to get together with your teams and have them set up for the arrival.  I need you and your six best teams here tomorrow afternoon for a briefing. I have to get in touch with Vice Foreign Minister Noventa and find out what she plans to do for Relena's arrival.  Think your teams will be ready?", asked Une in her OZ soldier tone of voice.

                "Yes ma'am. I'll get in touch with my team leaders tonight and will have them present for the brief tomorrow." 

                "Good. Now all I need to do is find Sylvia Noventa.", mumbled Une.

                "Commander, I can get your message to the VFM. She's a competitor at the shooting competition where I'm judging and giving an exhibition. What do you want me to tell her?"

Une grinned but it was hidden behind her hands. She knew all about Devon Tanisius and his shooting. Two weeks previous he had been in a major funk about something. She had gotten a report from Wufei Chang about the complaints Devon had forwarded to the armory about the condition of several .50 caliber sniper rifles.  Chang had reported that the armorer had came to him in a rage about Preventor Tabris' reading him the riot act about the maintenance of the rifles that had barely nearly come to blows. Calming the infuriated man down, Wufei reported that he had sent the armorer for an early lunch then went to confront the pissed  off agent on his own. Arriving at the outdoor long distance range, Wufei had been astounded at the accuracy that the man in question was putting his shots in a paper target 1950 yards down range.  Une grinned again as she remembered Changs' words that day after witnessing the feat.

                _"That man can possibly outshoot Zero at the distance he was shooting at with rifles that weren't zeroed in. I can not believe it."_

Unknown to the man on the other end of the line, Une had gone down and seen him shoot for herself. She was impressed with his first five shots. However when he proceeded to put the next forty shots in the same target with less than an eighth of an inch between them, she had quietly gotten him transferred to the sniper division of Preventors as the senior team leader, jumping three senior agents in the process. 

Now talking with him, Une told Devon to relay her message to Vice Foreign Minister Noventa.  Devon agreed and the two cut the connection but not before Une heard several grumbled comments of her timing.

For his part, Devon put the unit back in his pocket and took a look at his target through the spotter scope and sighed. 

                "Well it isn't too far off but it's still too far for my liking."

Putting his weapon on 'safe' Devon took a step back and stretched.  Leaving his chosen spot, he looked at his watch and noticed that the ladies long distance competition was in progress. Grabbing a pair of binoculars, he slipped them around his neck and headed in the direction of the range. Letting his hand linger on the piece of leather around his throat, Devon took off.

On range two, Sylvia was frustrated. Her first two shots had hit the target but had been so far apart she could put her hand between them. With her eye still at the scope, she reached up with her left hand and adjusted the windage knob on top of the scope and adjusted for a slight wind flurry. When that was done, her next two shots were right where she put them. However, Sylvia knew that if she was going to win the coveted number one spot, her shooting in this class and the open had to be spot on. Otherwise she would have to wait until the spot opened when the number one retired. She didn't want to do that. Sylvia wanted to win the title and ruin the ladies unbeaten streak.

                **_"Come on Sylvia, you can do better than that! Your next shots could very well decide this match. The other lady has had her problems as well, but she has been able to correct her aiming point to make her groupings closer. You've out shot her a few times before, you can do it again! Just concentrate on the next shot."_**_, Sylvia's consciousness told her as she readied herself to pull the trigger again._

Stilling her thoughts, Sylvia blanked her mind until the only thing that remained in it was paper target 1000 yards downrange. As she did so, Sylvia felt the hairs on her neck stand up and knew she was being watched by someone but didn't know who. Putting it out of her mind, she went back to concentrating on her trigger squeeze.

Behind her, Devon watched as the Vice Foreign Minister shook off what had disrupted her concentration. He mentally applauded Sylvia's dedication to the job at hand.  Moving to the front of the crowd of onlookers, Devon stood where he could see both Sylvia and the other woman on the firing line and study their techniques. 

For the next ten minutes the shots were heard over the background noise as each lady on the firing line fired their rifles. When the sound of the last shot died down, the officials in the tower behind the firing line called for the women to safe their weapons and step away from the line. Seeing Sylvia step away from her rifle after pulling the bolt back and leaving it open and flipping her rifles safety to its 'safe' position, Devon used his official's badge and stepped into the restricted area so he could pass on Colonel Une's message. 

After making her rifle safe, Sylvia got up from her prone position and stretched. Going over to the table where there was some water, she grabbed two cups and proceeded to join the circle of female shooters and listen to some of their complaints.

Upon joining the circle, Sylvia noticed that she was standing next to the number one female shooter in the whole Earth Sphere.  As usual, the lady was answering questions from the other lower ranked ladies and passing out advice.  She saw Sylvia and nodded a greeting as she answered a question asked by the woman ranked fifteenth in the ESUN.  Sylvia saw it and returned the greeting with a nod of her own as she drank her water. 

As she finished her first cup of water and deposited the paper cup in the garbage can, Sylvia answered a few questions that were asked of her and asked a few questions of her own. Several of the questions directed at Sylvia from the other ladies were about her rifle and where she had gotten it from. It was as she was answering another one of those questions when somebody tapped her on the shoulder.  Turning around, she saw that it was the judge she had been walking with earlier.  Remembering his name, she nodded at him.

Devon saw the nod and returned it before leaning in and giving Sylvia the message. 

                "Vice Foreign Minister Noventa, Lady Une just called and ordered me to pass on the message that the Yuy and Peacecraft families will be arriving early Monday morning and she wants to know if you have anything planned for them."

                "I do have something in mind for them but I'll have to get in touch with their butler to see if I can pull it off.", answered Sylvia slightly surprised that Devon was a Preventor.

                **_"I really hope to god that he wasn't assigned as my bodyguard. I was told that I would meet my Preventers on Monday after Relena got back in. Heero told me that he would assign the best agents he could to be my bodyguards."_**_, thought Sylvia as she watched the tall gentleman head back to the crowd._

Unknown to Sylvia, her competitors had been watching the man as he had conversed with Devon. Returning her attention back to the group in front of her, Sylvia saw that several of the ladies were openly leering at Devon's back as he walked away. Three of them had predatory gleams in their eyes and it took Sylvia seconds to realize what those speculative gleams meant.  Annoyed, Sylvia rolled her eyes. 

                "Knock it off you guys. We have other things we need to concentrate on than him. He was just doing his job and giving me a message.", the VFM snapped as she rejoined the group of chattering ladies. 

                "True, but he is a fine specimen of man. I wouldn't mind having him pull my trigger anytime, anyplace.", one of the ladies lecherously commented. 

Several of the women nodded in agreement at the words that hung in the air. Two of her competitors play swooned to the delight of their competitors while several of the other ladies fanned themselves as if they had suddenly gotten hot.  Even the one person ahead of her in the rankings had an appreciative gleam in her eyes as she watched the official disappear. 

Sighing in frustration, Sylvia crushed her empty second cup and threw it into the garbage can before abruptly leaving the giggling conclave of hormonal women. Turning one last time to face her competitors Sylvia told them in no uncertain terms what she thought of women who let their concentration be broken by the appearance of one guy.

                **_"And I thought those ladies were serious about this competition. One moment they were focused on their shooting. The next their all drooling over _****_Devon_****_ Tanisius just because he brought me a message from Colonel Une. Damn them.",_**_ fumed Sylvia as she headed back to her position._

Reaching her rifle, Sylvia checked with the official and found out that she could retrieve her rifle and return it to its case. Shaking the woman's hand, Sylvia knelt down and inspected her weapon to make sure it was empty.  Picking up her empty clips and returning them to her shooting bag, she centered her thoughts.  Once the clips were out of the way, she then began to police up the shell casings she had ejected after each shot. Two minutes and twenty shell casings later, Sylvia was finished cleaning up and reached down for her spotting scope. Capping both ends of the scope, she picked it up and gently placed it in her bag. She didn't want to jar her settings for it even though this part of the competition was over.  

Once the scope was nestled securely in the bag, Sylvia bent down one more time and gently picked up her weapon and carried it over to the table where she had her case stored. Placing the rifle in the case, Sylvia closed and locked it. Since she had about an hour and a half before the next phase of her competition, she decided to find a quiet place so that she could clean her rifle.  After a quick conversation with one of the officials, Sylvia shook his hand and left the area. 

While Sylvia was looking for a place to clean her rifle away from the hustle and bustle, Devon was on the phone to his assistant team leader. 

                "Good afternoon Eagle. How are you doing today?", asked Devon when his assistant answered the phone.

                "Hey, it's the boss Preventer Tabris! How is it going, my friend?", asked the older agent. 

Devon grinned as he saw the ever present cup of hot coffee in his friends' hand. No matter what time of day or night and no matter the temperature; Preventer Eagle could always be found with a big cup of coffee in his hand. Devon wondered how the man could drink so much coffee, because he couldn't stand the stuff. 

                "Well Eagle, everything is going fine; will be judging an open long-range shooting competition in about 90 or so minutes. After that, I gotta deal with the awards ceremony and then give an extremely long distance shooting exhibition with my 'light fifty'. After that I am free for the day.", stated Devon as he sat down at a table and watched the crowds go by.

                "That's good. I hope you have a fun time officiating that competition. And I know you will have fun giving an exhibition with that big behemoth of a rifle of yours.", chuckled Eagle as he put his cup down.

                "Thanks friend.  I will do both. Wish you were here so you could do an exhibition of your own. You're the best shooter with open sights on the team. And there are several times your expertise came in handy."

Devon liked Eagle. They got along real great and were good friends on the job and off. There had been many a time where Devon had been either flustered or melancholy and the older agent had pulled him out of his funk. Eagle had always been there with some good advice, a kind word, or a noxious steaming cup of coffee to help put things in perspective. Devon also remembered the times he had shared dinner with Eagle and his caring wife. 

Bringing his attention back to the conversation at hand, Devon listened to what the elder Preventer was saying. 

                "Even though I appreciate you calling me, I have a feeling that this isn't a social call.", stated Eagle, all the joviality out of his voice.

                "Yeah, you're right as usual Eag. I got a call from the Bosslady not to long ago telling me that she needs six teams ready for work early Monday morning. It seems that the Foreign Minister and the Crown Prince well be returning with their spouses and she wants sniper team coverage. I need you to pick the six best teams and have them show up at Headquarters tomorrow morning for a briefing. Hopefully by then we'll have the information on what the VFM is going to do for her bosses' return."

Eagle shook his head.

                "That's going to be a tough one. You know how the crew likes their Sundays off? I'll see what I can do."

                "Yeah I know but it has to be done. Who do we have that we can use?"

                "Let me go over my records.  I'll get back to you in a minute."

                "Alright call me at this number; I should be here unless I'm already judging."

                "I will. You'll have to tell me how the competition and exhibition went."

                "I will, Eagle. That is the first thing on my to do list when I see you again.", chuckled Devon as he broke the connection after seeing his friend already hard at work checking the team availability schedule.

Finished with that, Devon looked at his watch.  His stomach was telling him it was time to grab some food. Looking around for and spotting a concession stand, Devon went over and ordered a burger and fry combo with a large soda. Paying for his food, he took his tray over to a semi-secluded booth that gave its inhabitants a panoramic view of three of the rifle ranges.  Taking a bite out of his Triple bacon Cheeseburger, Devon grinned and watched the crowds go by.

Twenty minutes later, Devon finished his meal and got up from his seat. Placing his garbage in the proper receptacle, Devon took a lengthy sip from his soda before exiting the concession area.  Deciding to get a good look at range nine while it wasn't being used, Devon headed in that direction. After a five minute walk, the Preventor arrived at the range. Climbing the stairs to the range tower, Devon entered the room and saw two of his fellow officials.  Introducing himself to the other officials, Devon picked up the binoculars and glanced at the targets downrange. Nodding to himself Devon was satisfied at the level of difficulty and distance of the targets from the firing line.

                "Looks like the competitors will have a challenge today.", stated Devon as he lowered the binoculars from his eyes and replaced them on the table. 

                "Yeah, this is going to be good competition. Especially since we have a developing battle in the ladies rankings.", said the blonde official with the cup of coffee in his hand.

                "Really; what kind of battle in the ladies division?", asked Devon as he turned from the window.

The other official answered the question. 

                "It looks like the second ranked female shooter in the ESUN is making a play for the top spot. Everyone knows that the top ranked lady is retiring this year. If nobody takes her spot before she retires, the number one spot will be open."

                "That is interesting, very interesting. How close is the number two from the number one?", asked Devon as he stroked his chin contemplatively.

                "Well as of today, the two were separated by thirty points. However, with the unofficial results from the earlier class, they are dead even. This is the make or break competition. Whoever comes out of this match on top gets the gold."

Devon nodded and thanked the two for telling him before leaving the building and climbing down the stairs.  At the food of the steps, he met a couple other officials and conversed for a few minutes before leaving the range and heading for the exhibition range where his weapon waited where he left it. After rechecking his zero point with a quick glance through both the spotting scope and his own scope, Devon nodded to himself and headed back to range nine for the official's pre-match meeting.

While Devon was doing that, Sylvia had found a table to perform her rifle cleaning tasks and was setting her cleaning utensils out.  Around her sat several of her competitors both male and female. The area Sylvia was presently in was a kind of lounge for the participating competitors. It was where they relaxed between rounds, cleaned weapons, networked with other shooters, and just hung out when not competing. 

After getting her space set up, Sylvia sat down and started to disassemble her rifle so she could get it cleaned.  Looking around she spotted the seven and tenth ranked female shooters flirting with a couple of their male counterparts over on the couch in the sitting area. Across from them and watching the television screen was the woman who was ranked fifth and her third ranked husband critiquing the others performance.  Seeing the closeness shared by the two, Sylvia sighed and wished she could find someone who shared her passion for shooting.  Turning her attention back to her cleaning, Sylvia bent to her task and lost herself in her work. 

So lost in thought as she cleaned her rifle, Sylvia didn't notice when the top ranked female shooter sat down next to her and proceeded to clean her own rifle.  It was only after the other woman had cleared her throat that Sylvia realized that she had company. Glancing over at the older woman, Sylvia was a bit taken aback but she quickly regained her composure and greeted the other lady politely. 

                "Thank you Ms. Noventa. When I sat down you looked to be deep in thought."

                "Yes I was, I apologize for my rudeness, Mrs. Romaine. I was thinking about how the next part of the competition was going to go."

                "You did not have to snap at the other ladies back there like you did. If you didn't know it, it made you seem possessive of the official to the rest..", stated Mrs. Romaine as she disassembled her rifle.

Sylvia sighed; this was one subject she did not want to talk about. 

                "Possessive, why did what I said make me sound possessive? If the other girls want him, they can have him. He was just giving me a message from the head of the Preventors. I only met him today when I was zeroing in my rifle on the other range."

                "Do you know what you sounded like when you said that? You sounded like a woman jealous of the way other women talk about her boyfriend. You took offense where none was intended. The other girls saw your reaction and ran with it."

Sylvia was stunned and it showed on her face. Here was Mrs. Romaine, a 46 year old married woman telling Sylvia that she liked a man she had only met once.  Sylvia shook her head and snorted in amusement. The older lady had another thought coming if she believed her words were meant to break Sylvia's concentration for the upcoming open class competition. 

                **_"If she thinks I'm going to give up on my chance to take her #1 ranking just because she talks about a guy I only just met today, then she's delusional and needs to retire.",_**_ thought Sylvia as she finished up her cleaning choirs and put her rifle away in its case._

Clicking her case shut and setting the lock, Sylvia rose from her seat. There was still a little bit of time left for her to grab a bite to eat before her next competition.  Thanking Mrs. Romaine for her words, Sylvia left the participants lounge after placing her weapon in one of the lockers for the competition participants. 

As Sylvia disappeared into the crowd, she didn't notice the look on Mrs. Romaine's face.

                **_"You can keep fooling yourself right now, Ms. Noventa. But there will come a time when your feelings for that man will come out. I just hope you aren't stupid enough to let too much time go by before your realize your folly.",_**_ thought Mrs. Romaine as she finished up cleaning her own rifle._

Sighing in resignation, the older woman offered up a smile for clouds before leaving the lounge and heading in the direction of range nine.  She had a title and a #1 ranking to protect.

While this was going on, the ignorant subject of the conversation had just received a call from his friend and fellow Preventors' sniper. 

                "Hello, oh hey, Eagle. You got the teams chosen for the meeting?", asked Devon as he answered his communicator and saw the familiar easygoing eyes of  Preventor Eagle.

                "Yeah, how is the competition going? You do any judging yet?", asked the older agent as he took a sip from his ever present battered coffee cup.

                "Not yet, my friend but it is almost that time. In fact, after I finish talking to you I have to head in that direction to get ready.  Saw the VFM earlier. She's a helluva shot.", answered Devon as he leaned against a pole and adjusted his glasses.

                "Really, I didn't know that Sylvia Noventa was a shooter. How good is she?"

                "I don't blame you, Eagle. I didn't know it till today. And she is good, very good. Vice Foreign Minister Noventa is the number two ranked female in the whole Earth Sphere. She's gunning for number one today and if her scores from her earlier competition are any indication, there is a chance she may be Number One by the end of the day."

                "And she's single; I think you caught yourself a live one there, Preventor Tabris."

Devon snorted, he had been expecting that. Preventor Eagle was always trying to get him to find ms. right and settle down.  Each time Devon was visiting his friend for dinner, there was always some young unattached lady there waiting to meet him. Devon knew that Eagle's wife was trying to marry him off (She thought of Devon as a wayward son that needed a lady's touch to settle him down).

                "Just because she shoots well, Eag doesn't mean that she's good for me. I have too many demons of my past that will not stay buried.", stated Devon in a serious tone of voice.

The man known as Preventor Eagle nodded and Devon watched as his eyes went to a slip of paper that was in his hand.  Doing a last minute triple check of the names on the list, Eagle proceeded to give Devon a list of names for the six requested teams.

                "Okay, I got four sniper/spotter teams that I hand picked for the detail on Monday. I've already called the affected personnel and given them their orders. Of course I know that you have final say but I think that the people chosen will suit your needs."

                "Eag, I thought that I told that Commander Une wants six teams not four?"

                "You did, but I know that you'd want to be a team so you're getting a spotter"

                "I see but you're still one team short; and I don't want Une chewing my behind to pieces for not fielding the six teams she ordered."

                "Devon…..  Devon…. Devon, do you think that I would miss out on this? My spotter and I will be the requested sixth team."

Devon mentally groaned, he hadn't seen that one coming. 

                "Alright Eag, what teams did you get? And who's going to be my spotter?"

The older man chuckled as if he was about to unleash a practical joke of major proportion on his younger friend.

                "Well, Team One is Cruiser and the Norse King of gods. Team Two is the nice lady with the hard right and her fellow hockey fan. Team Three is H-man and the DI Guy and Team Four is the newbie and the young gun."

                **_"Hmm, he chose two Grey Ghosts, two Blue Banshees, one cool lady, and one nice guy with a canine nickname. Eag also chose a new guy and an unknown factor. Oh well, I can deal with that. I wonder who he got as my spotter?", _**_mused __Devon__._

****

Nodding in agreement about the chosen people, Devon let Eagle know that he approved the choices. The next item on the agenda was the rifles chosen.  It was a no-brainer that there would be at least one extremely long range rifle for Devon himself. The debate was the other weapons chosen. Eagle wanted at least two more rifles one class below the light fifty.  That meant either a pair of .338's, a pair of .308's or a combination of one .338 and one .308; while Devon wanted a pair of 30.06's and no other extreme long range class rifle.  They ended up compromising on one .338 and two 30-06 rifles. That left two teams left and Devon knew that he wanted Eagle with one of his open sight specials as one of those teams. 

                "Devon, you already have one extreme long range sniper, one semi-extreme long range snipers, and two medium range snipers. You don't need to add another medium range sniper; I'll already be on one of the medium range sniper teams.  Devon you need three short range teams or extreme long range team and two short range teams.", stated Eagle, firmly. 

Devon was unconvinced and said so. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was getting near time for him to report to range nine for judging. 

                "Look, Eag why don't we settle this at the meeting tomorrow? Lady Une will probably have what we need spelled out. We both know it's her choice on which weapons to use.  Let's present both plans to her and see what she says."

                "Okay, Tabris. Have fun judging the competition."

                "I will, see you tomorrow Eag."

                "See you tomorrow, Devon.", came the reply from the elder agent.

When his friend signed off, Devon cut the connection and replaced the phone in his pocket.  Checking his watch, Devon saw that it was nearing the time for the open class competition to start.  Ambling over to range nine, Devon saw that the rest of the officials, both range safety and judging, had arrived and were getting prepared for the competition. 

As he approached the gathering of officials, Devon saw the male and female competitors receiving their group assignments. With some many participants in the open class, they had to split the shooters into two groups of fifteen competitors apiece. As his eyes roved over the gathered competitors, Devon spotted VFM Noventa off to the side with a slip of paper in her left hand. She seemed to be studying her assigned lane.  Shrugging his shoulders, Devon turned and headed for his position behind the firing line. 

Once the first group of male and female competitors stepped up to their lanes, the area around the range quieted down. The officials in the tower went over the range rules and regulations then introduced each competitor that was on the line to the audience. With some last minute instructions to all range safety officials and competition officials, the tower officials gave the order that all the competitors had been waiting for.

                "Range clear on the right?", stated the tower official.

                "Clear on the right!", came the reply from the right side.

                "Range clear on the left?"

                "Clear on the left!"

                "Range clear in the middle?"

                "Clear in the middle!", answered Devon as he gave a thumbs up to the tower.

                "The shooting range is all clear. Okay contestants lets get it on!! Those of you with Semi-automatic weapons, rotate that selector switch to the correct position and _Commence Firing_!!", came the voice of the head official.

The exact second that they were cleared to shoot by the tower; a volley of shots rang out from the competitors and the open class long range Earth Sphere United Nations Shooting Competition started.

From her position in front of the tower on lane eight, Sylvia concentrated on the paper target 1000 yards downrange. Stilling her breathing like she had been taught by her grandfather, the second most important woman in the entire Earthsphere gently squeezed her trigger and sent her fifth shot down range. Mentally tabulating how many shots she had left before she could change magazine and recharge the weapon with eight more rounds, Sylvia relaxed a bit more. She knew that she needed to fire a total of fifteen to twenty rounds for her score to be official; therefore she planned to fire a total of twenty-four rounds so that she was sure her score would count.

                **_"Three bullets left in this clip before I have to change and put the third and final clip in that I earmarked for this part of the competition.  With my twenty-four shots, my score will be more than official. I just pray that those rounds are enough to push me into the number one ranking."_**_, thought Sylvia as she fired another round down range._

When she fired her last round from the present clip, Sylvia safed her rifle and hit the release switch to release the empty magazine.  Catching the empty clip with her free hand, she dropped the empty clip into her bag sitting slightly behind her.  After she let go of the clip, Sylvia reached to her right and picked up her last magazine.  With the expertise that comes with practice, Sylvia inserted the magazine into its designated spot and gave the bottom a light slap to properly seat the magazine. Once the magazine was locked in place, Sylvia chambered the first round. As she was doing that, she was looking through her spotters' scope to check her shots.  Looking at her target downrange, Sylvia was satisfied with her progress up to the present point.

                "I believe that I am doing pretty good right now and have the feeling that today may be the day I take over the number one spot. ", muttered Sylvia to her self as she brought her head down from the spotting scope to her rifle's scope.

While Sylvia was prepping to send the first shot from her last magazine down range, Devon Tanisius walked behind her and checked on the other four lanes in his area.  In his role as judge for this facet of the competition, Devon was judging the firing positions of the five competitors in front of him. All five shooters, three women and two men, had elected to shoot from the prone position. A position he was very knowledgeable about since as a Preventor Agent and a Preventor sniper, he often chose the prone position himself when on protective assignment or a low level mission where some sniping was called for. 

Noting that each of the competitors were all doing pretty well and seemed comfortable in the prone position, Devon shifted into his secondary officials role as a range safety official.  So far, he hadn't had to stop the meet due to unsafe actions by his five nor had any of the other judges who had backup duty range safety official along with him. 

While in the meeting with the other officials and judges, Devon had heard that an earlier preliminary competition had to be stopped because of actions by one of the other shooters. The way Devon heard it, the poor bloke had started out fine but as the match progressed he had gotten unsafe.  Finally, after several warnings, the judge had been forced to raise his red flag and signal an unsafe condition on the range and brought the shooting to a stop.  Once the competition had been halted, the competitor had been pulled off the firing line and disqualified from further competition. Of course this incensed the man to no end and he started to get belligerent and almost had to be forcibly removed.  After a cooling off period, things had been explained and the gentleman had felt contrite and accepted a five match suspension plus a remedial weapons and range safety class given by one of the senior judges.

Walking back down the firing line, Devon stopped behind Sylvia and watched her shoot for a bit. His attention was focused downrange on her target and he was impressed at the poise that Sylvia had a she shot. 

Deciding to get a closer look at her target, Devon brought his binoculars up to his eyes and focused them on the target the Vice Foreign Minister was looking at. 

                **_"Hmm, I'd say she's doing well. Majority of her shots are in the ten-ring with a few just outside in the nine ring ands three bull's-eyes dead center and on target. Ms. Noventa also has a couple of flier's that shouldn't affect her final score that much. She handled the wind shift better than I thought she would and made the slight adjustments needed.", _**_thought __Devon__ as he checked her target. _

At that moment, the voice of the tower official came over his protective headset.  Adjusting the microphone that was hooked into the headset so that it sat in front of his mouth but wasn't to close, Devon listened to the official.

                "Tanisius how is everything down there?"

                "Everything is fine sir. No range safety violations I can see.", answered Devon as he glanced at the safety official and received a nod as he listened to the tower as well.

                "Good. Give me a status check on your shooters."

                "Yes sir. Give me a minute to walk the line."

Looking up at the tower, Devon saw the thumbs up given by one of the tower officials and proceeded to check his five charges.  Starting with the last lane of his five, he knelt behind each shooter and visually checked to see where each shooter was.  Checking his list against what he saw, Devon saw that the lady in lane ten had in between five and ten shots left.  Nodding to himself, he moved on to the next lane and saw that the competitor there was looking through his spotting scope and had taken his hands away from his rifle. Tapping the man on the shoulder, Devon quietly asked how many rounds he had left. 

                "I'm Winchester sir.", stated the man, signifying that his weapon was empty and he was out of ammunition."

                "I see. Safe your weapon and lay it down. Remain on the firing line until told to move.", said Devon. 

The competitor nodded as he kept checking his target   Devon moved down to VFM Noventa's lane, he saw that she too was out of ammo and had ejected her last clip and was checking her target through her scope.  Asking her the same question he had asked the shooter in the lane to her left, Devon went through the same spiel and visually double checked to make sure everything was done.  Once that was done Devon continued on to lanes seven and six and checked their status.  Getting favorable reports from the other two shooters, he moved back up to lane ten and watched as the competitor there fired her last couple of shots. 

When she was done, Devon told her the same thing he had told the other four shooters.  When she was finished, Devon rose to his feet and stepped back from the firing line. Making sure he was clear, Devon reported to the tower.  Getting an acknowledgement from the official, Devon walked the line and checked in with his competitors again. Seconds after he finished, the range safety officer in the tower came over the range PA.

                "Attention all shooters, this is the range coordinator. Cease fire. I say again, cease fire."

The shooting stopped and the coordinator came over the public address system again.

                "Safe your weapons and take two steps back from the firing line to let the officials check your weapons. Officials, once you have checked weapons are on safe report back to tower."

Devon copied the transmission and waited for his five to rise to their feet and step away from the firing line. Starting from lane six, he picked up each weapon and checked its bolt and chamber for any unfired rounds. If he found one, he was to wave the range safety officer over to check while he notated it on his clipboard before clearing the weapon.  

Going up his section of the range, Devon found that all bolts, chambers, and barrels were clear and conversed with the safety official for a minute.  Once that was done, Devon listened to the safety coordinator in the tower. 

                "Right side, all weapons clear and safe?"

                "All weapons clear and safe, right side!"

                "Left side, all weapons clear and safe?"

                "All weapons clear and safe, left side!

                "Middle, all weapons clear and safe?"

                "All weapons clear and safe, middle!", reported Devon as he raised the correct flag.

                "All weapons clear and safe! Range is clear and safe. First Group; retrieve your weapons and step away from the firing line.  You are finished for the day.  Scores will be posted later. Congratulations and good luck to you all.  All first group officials: report to the tower to turn in and tabulate your scores. Second group there will be a twenty minute break while the scored are tabulated. Prep your weapons and be ready to step up to the firing line."

Devon watched as the remaining fifteen shooters got ready to take their place.  When the command was given for the members of the second group to step up to the firing line, Devon stood behind them.  Once the rifles were in place, the two officials went and checked the weapons to make sure that the barrels, chambers, and bolts were clear and the weapons were safe.  Satisfied that they were, Devon and the two other officials made their reports to the tower. Once all the reports were in and the weapons ready, the tower commanded that the firing line is to be cleared so that the officials could turn in their scores. 

Devon conversed with his two fellow officials and the three took notes on their score sheets while conversing with each other and the range safety officials. Coming to a consensus, the three judges closed their clipboards and headed for the tower to turn in their scores. After turning in his scores, Devon returned to where the five shooters he judged were and chatted with them for a bit.  After shaking hands all around, Devon talked to the shooters and asked them about how they thought the match was being run.  Each commented that they were pleased and satisfied with how things were going and looked forward to the scores being posted. 

                "How do each of you think you did?", asked Devon.

All of them commented that they thought they did pretty well and believed that the scores would reflect favorably for them. Devon noticed the grimace that Ms. Noventa had given when she had answered his question and wondered what had gone wrong for her.

Sylvia was frustrated and the questions the judge had asked weren't helping things. Although she had given favorable answers, she knew that her second to last shot had hadn't hit where she had wanted to and she knew that it possibly had cost her the match and the chance to move up in the rankings. 

                **_"Dammit, I cannot believe that second to last shot had been a flier and had landed in the eight ring! What did I do wrong to cause that? It frustrated me so much that I rushed my last shot. Luckily it hit the line between the nine and ten rings and would be counted as a ten. However I believe that my chance for taking the number one ranking just went out the bloody window. Dammitalltohell!!",_**_ fumed Sylvia as she tried to find a way to quietly leave the conversation so she could fume in peace._

 When the chat was over, Sylvia again thanked the judge and watched as he headed off for the tower. A part of her she didn't know existed admired the lean body walking away from her and she brutally squelched it.  Sighing and letting her anger go; Sylvia picked up her shooter's bag and headed back to the lounge to clean her rifle and put it away while she waited for the scores to be tabulated.  

Once all that was done, Sylvia grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge in the participants lounge and dropped herself in one of the chairs in front of the monitor. Taking a sip from the refreshingly cool beverage, Sylvia propped her feet up on the couch and watched as the second group of the open class started shooting. Picking up the remote, she adjusted the view until she saw Mrs. Romaine taking her time and sending another round downrange.  Glaring at the woman on the screen Sylvia studied Mrs. Romaine's form and tried to pick up tips to improve her own shooting.  As she was watching, Sylvia heard a trio of women enter the lounge chatting among themselves about their scores. She recognized them as some of the women she had competed against earlier in the day. Apparently they had only entered that part of the competition and hadn't done as well.

                "Did you hear about the tabulated scores for the first group of the open competition?", asked the one that sounded the youngest to Sylvia. 

                "No, I didn't Ashley, what about it?", asked the tall woman to the right.

                "They were just posted just as the second group started and everyone was surprised.", answered the one called Ashley. 

                "What were they surprised about, did one of the men take first in group again?", asked the third member of the trio.

                "No Mi-mi, Sylvia Noventa took first for that group. And everyone knows that Noventa is gunning for the top spot."

There was a stunned silence as the other two females digested that news.  The unnamed one thought for a moment then asked about the score for the number one female shooter.

                "She's out there shooting now, 'Lisha. I think the judges wanted to put those two in opposite groups. However, I think Noventa got the bad end of the deal. Since she shot first, all Mrs. Romaine has to do is beat Noventa's score and she'll remain ranked number one. "

                "Really?,", came the voices of Mimi and the one named Alisha. 

                "Yeah, I just came from range nine and Mrs. Romaine was doing very well. I don't think that Noventa has a chance."

Hearing enough of the conversation, Sylvia jumped up from her seat and stormed over to the trio of girls and asked where the scores were posted so that she could see for herself that she had gotten first place in her group. The medium height blonde, Ashley, told Sylvia that the scores of the first group were posted on the back of the tower at range nine. Thanking the other woman, Sylvia left the lounge and headed for the tower at range nine.  On the way there, she pulled her phone out and speed dialed her grandmother. 

                "Hello Grandmother, how are you doing?", asked Sylvia as she strode to range nine.

                "I am fine my grandchild, how are you? Is the match over yet?", asked Baroness Sophia  as she sat at her desk and finished up her correspondence.

                "I'm okay and no the match isn't finished yet. I did not do that great in the first match I participated in but neither did Mrs. Romaine. As of now, we are tied for score.  I just finished shooting in the first open group and thought I didn't do that good. However, I just heard that I took the top spot in my group."

                "Really, that's good darling. What about Mrs. Romaine? How did she do in the open class?"

                "She's shooting right now, grandmother. I heard she's doing pretty good as well. I just hope she makes one mistake."

                "Why is that, Sylvia?"

                "Because grandmother, if Mrs. Romaine makes one mistake, I believe that I have a very good chance of winning this tournament.  Since we were tied going into the open class shoot, whoever wins this match, wins the spot."

                "Well Sylvia I wish you good luck and hope you win. By the way, Sylvia; have you seen any good looking men out there?", the Eleventh Noventa Baroness asked her granddaughter.

                _"Grandmother, I'm Here To Shoot, Not To Husband Hunt!!", _screeched Sylvia as her cheeks burned a bright fire engine red.

Sophia chuckled over the line and it made Sylvia blush even more. She could see the two spots of crimson on her granddaughters cheeks turn darker as the teasing hit home. Deciding to continue the teasing, Sophia commented,

                "You can tell me, granddaughter. I won't tell anyone else. By the blush in your cheeks I can tell that one of the men out there caught your eye."

                "He didn't catch my eye, grandmother. He just gave me some advice.", muttered Sylvia as she saw her grandmothers' eyes twinkle with merriment.

                "Really, he sounds interesting."

                "Grandmother, he was one of the judges. Plus he's also a Preventor so I couldn't date him even if I wanted to.", grumbled Sylvia as she tried to find a way to cut the connection politely.

                "I see. If you're this flustered about telling me that he gave you some advice, he must have made an impression on you. Tell me what does he look like, is he cute?"

Sylvia shook her head in wonder. Sometimes her grandmother acted more like she was Sylvia's twenty-one years of age instead of her own late sixties age.  It embarrassed Sylvia to no end when her grandmother openly flirted with men Sylvia's age at some of her formal gatherings.  Unfortunately, Sylvia knew that she was going to have to answer the question if she wanted to get her grandmother off her case about it. 

                "Yes Grandmother, he is cute. Devon's so cute he's dreamy and I would give anything to have his children.", snapped Sylvia before she realized what she had said.

                **_"Did I just say what I think I said? I hope I didn't.", _**_thought Sylvia as she realized what words came out of her mouth. _

Unfortunately, Sylvia could see from her grandmother's reaction that she had indeed said what she thought she said. Now she knew that the teasing would be merciless.

                "Devon, you say. So dreamy that you would want to have his children, you say. Why my dear Sylvia, that is positively scandalous. If I didn't know better, I would say you had fallen for the man already. So when can I meet this Devon?"

Sylvia was at a loss to answer when she saw her redemption. She was arriving at the range nine tower and the posted scores. Telling her grandmother that she would see her later, Sylvia hurriedly cut the connection and zeroed the screen so that her grandmother couldn't see the deep blush that had suddenly spread across her cheeks at her grandmothers words.

Shutting the phone off and placing it deep in her pocket, Sylvia made her way through the crowd to look at the scores.  With one glance at the posted scores, Sylvia's mouth dropped open. The three girls in the lounge hadn't been mistaken; her name appeared in the top spot for the first group.

                **_-'Noventa, Sylvia Rene`    365.5 points.  Group Ranking    1_**

**_"Well, I'll be dammed, those girls were right about me being ranked first in group.", _**_thought Sylvia with a big grin on her face. _

 Accepting the congratulatory back pats and hugs from the other members of the first group, Sylvia left the crowd and walked over to an empty spectators table. Taking a seat she picked up the binoculars on the table and used them to see how the second group was faring.  Observing the fifteen men and women on the firing line and the judges that were watching over them, Sylvia saw Devon as he walked up and down the firing line; occasionally stopping to pick up the binoculars that hung from his neck and bring them to his eyes to look downrange at the targets. 

Seeing the Preventor attired in black cargo pants and black polo shirt with black jungle boots stirred something inside of Sylvia and she focused the binoculars to the backside of the tall judge and wondered what it would feel to give the man a good goose.  Realizing that the current path her thoughts were taking would lead her into unneeded daydreams, Sylvia jerked the binoculars away from Devon and shifted them back to Mrs. Romaine and the rest of the competitors. However, Sylvia couldn't keep herself from bringing her attention back to the sinful sight of the Preventor Agents' delectable looking backside no matter how hard she tried.

                **_"Of all the kinds of thoughts I should be having right now, carnal thoughts about one of the judges who just happens to be a Preventor (and a well built one at that) Agent are not the ones I'd choose."_**_, Sylvia mentally chided herself._

 Resigning the fact that no matter what she was trying to look at her libido was going to keep retuning the binoculars to the gluteus maximus of one Devon Tanisius, Sylvia sighed and just decided to enjoy the view. As she did so, she mentally cussed out all the women who had inadvertently brought her attention to the agent ever since he had came over and given her the message from Commander Une.

Out on the firing line, Devon was frustrated. He had had to warn a couple of the shooters under his direct control about their aim points.  A couple of times, Devon had caught the guys unknowingly shooting at each other's target. The first few times, he had made notes of the competitors' names and targets to report to the head official.  Then he had leaned down and given the two men official verbal warnings.  After that they had seemed to settle down and keep to their own targets.

Now in the waning minutes of the competition, Devon had again caught the guys shooting at each others targets. After a very short conversation with the safety official, the two had decided to disqualify their scores and report them to the tower. 

Standing behind the two men, Devon had brought the microphone up to his mouth and was in the process of making the call to the tower. 

                "Range coordinator, firing line official right side.", stated Devon.

                "Go ahead right side official."

                "Coordinator, I got a couple of guys down here shooting at each others targets. The two competitors have been officially reported on my score sheet.  Both participants have also been given official verbal warnings; however they still are doing so. As such actions are against range safety regulations, the safety official has decided to disqualify the participants and I have agreed with him. According to the rules and regulations I have informed the head official and the range safety coordinator of my decision with the concurrence of my range safety official.", stated Devon as he glared at the two offenders.

                "Range Coordinator copies that and concurs with your decision. Which lanes are the offenders?"

                "Lanes three and four."

A short conversation was had and the decision was made by the tower official and the range coordinator for Devon to pull the two men off the firing line when it was announced that they had been disqualified. 

                "Attention of the firing line this is the range coordinator. Cease fire, I say again: Cease fire."

The sounds of rifle shots floated away on the late afternoon breeze as the competitors in the second group cleared their rifles and safed them. Like before, the competitors stepped away from the firing line to let the officials' double check the weapons to make sure they were safed and all chambers and barrels were empty. 

Once again Devon and his fellow officials went through the weapons clear and safe litany. 

                "Right side, all weapons clear and safe?"

                "All weapons clear and safe, right side!", replied Devon as his safety official concurred.

                "Left side, all weapons clear and safe?"

                "All weapons clear and safe, left side!"

                "Middle, all weapons clear and safe?"

                "All weapons clear and safe, middle!"

                "All weapons clear and safe! Range is clear and safe. Second Group; retrieve your weapons and step away from the firing line.  You are finished for the afternoon.  Scores will be posted for your viewing later. Congratulations and good luck to you all.  All second group officials: report to the tower to turn in and tabulate your scores."

Stepping back from the firing range, Devon took his glasses off and used his shirt tail to clean them before replacing them back on his face.  Heading for the tower with his score sheet, Devon sighed and relaxed his shoulders. He knew that in an hour, he would be giving a demonstration. 

At the scoring tower, Devon placed his score sheets on the table and turned to get some refreshment when he was paged to the top of the tower with his safety official to discuss his disqualification of the chosen competitors. When he reached the second floor, Devon saw that the two tower judges were not in the greatest of moods.  Sighing, he knew that this discussion was going to take awhile.

Meanwhile, on Colony L-4, Multi-Billionaire Quatre Raberba Winner was sitting in the soft leather executive chair in his office on the second floor of the Winner Mansion. As the heir to the Winner fortune; Quatre had been chosen by popular vote to represent the colony in financial matters that were brought up in front of the Earth Sphere United Nations, the foreign minister, and  the vice foreign minister. Quatre was also a Command Staff Preventors member (as were all of the Gundam pilots).   In addition to his familial duties, Preventor Command Staff duties, and E.S.U.N. representative duties; the 21-year old Winner was the classified and official head of the Preventors on Colony L-4.

With all the duties that he was burdened with, one would expect Quatre to be vastly overworked and basically confined to his home office until all hours of the night. If anyone were to assume that, they would be sadly mistaken. Quatre liked his office; it was his semi-tangible link to his father, who was killed during the First Gundam War in front of Quatre's eyes, and late at night, he often found his way into the warm inviting room to sit back and think.  Several times Quatre's wife and some of his sisters had found him asleep in the office early in the morning. 

And that was where the lady of the house found him at 2AM this morning. 

Dorothy Catalonia-Winner, Duchess of Catalonia, opened the dark oaken door to the office to see if her hunch had been correct.  She had woken up thirty minutes before to give the newest Winner and next Winner heir his early morning meal before putting the baby back to sleep. However, upon entering the gaily decorated nursery, the twenty-one year old Winner Company Chief Operating Officer had found that the old bassinet (A Winner Family Heirloom. According to the servants, all newborn Winner children spent their first six months of life in this century old bassinet. Some of them still remember when Master Quatre tipped it over when he was three months old) where her child had been put down to sleep three hours previously was empty. 

Now any other woman with a six month old child who suddenly found their baby gone from its bassinet in the middle of the night would panic and raise the alarm. Not Dorothy, she considered herself to be above such behavior.  Sighing to herself, Dorothy tightened her robe and headed straight to where she knew the child would be. 

                **_"Not in here again, dammit; this is the fourth night in a row since he returned from Earth the other day. Quatre you know that you have to go in to the officer early tomorrow, why must you give up some of your rest to be with our son? I know you want to be a better dad than your own father was, but you mustn't forget that for now, I don't need as much sleep as you do.",_**_ thought Dorothy as she entered her husband's office._

Crossing the dimly lit room, Dorothy's feet made no sound on the deep plush carpet imported from Earth. Going around the massive desk, Mistress Winner saw what she expected to see. 

 Her husband snoozing happily in his chair with his feet propped up on the desk. And in his arms with his soft blue eyes wide open was the newest winner: Jamal Raberba Winner.****

Baby Jamal was cooing softly as his little eyes caught site of his mother as she came around the desk. He giggled for a minute then returned his attention to the soft glow coming from the nineteen inch monitor situated to Quatre's left.  Dressed in an azure blue one piece sleeper, the littlest Winner kicked his small feet in the air. 

As she watched the antics of her son, Dorothy shook her head and grinned.  Reaching down for her son, she brushed his soft light blonde hair and felt her heart flip and fill her with a love that she had only felt whenever she was in the kindhearted presence of her husband.

Dorothy Catalonia had changed at the end of the First Gundam War. After Trowa Barton had rescued Quatre from the remnants of Libra, he had come back for her so she could be brought to safety. At first she had resisted, only wanting to die for what she had done.  Tired of her resistance, Trowa had backhanded Dorothy across the face and her will had crumpled. She still remembered Trowa's words that day.

                -_"I do not understand why you resist this. However, I know that Quatre wants you to live. He sees something in you that means something to him. If you died now, Quatre would be devastated. And Being his friend and seeing him in a similar state of mind once before, I would not wish his melancholy on my worst enemy. Now either you come on your own or I will carry you out of here over my shoulder."_

Dorothy had meekly allowed herself to be led away by the quiet pilot to the crippled _Peacemillion _where she watched the final battle between Heero Yuy and Zechs Merquise as the embattled station plummeted to Earth. She was helping in the infirmary when the six greatest mobile suit pilots of all time, led by the critically wounded pilot of the Gundam Sandrock desperately tried to destroy the station before Heero Yuy and his Double Buster rifle completely obliterated it with one massive shot from the weapon that had done so much damage in the war. 

After the damaged Peacemillion had returned to Earth, Dorothy had left and returned to the Catalonia Estates. She isolated herself from the press and her friends for three months; neither taking nor returning any calls from Relena or any of the others.  When three months had passed, Dorothy had again left Earth to tour the colonies by herself. It was during that trip that she had literally run into Quatre.  It was at another formal gathering that she had been invited to. At first she had turned it down but had decided to go at the last minute.  

  
During the ball, Dorothy had turned down numerous dance requests. Becoming bored, she had left the party and was on her way to the car requisitioned for her use when she had caught the heel of her shoe in a small crack in the walk and had fallen. As she had tensed up and waited for her collision with the hard ground, Dorothy wondered how bad she would be hurt.  When her expected collision with the ground didn't occur, Dorothy opened her eyes and looked into a kind face with sparkling blue eyes topped by short platinum blonde hair.

From the moment the desert prince had kept her from falling, to the moment she had left her own wedding reception enroute to the hospital to give birth to the small life slowly nodding off to sleep in her arms; Dorothy had experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows and she reveled in the changes they had wrought within her.  She was still a world class fencer and every bit as independent and controversial she had been during the war, however, times had smoothed that rough steel into the finally tempered titanium blade she was today: the COO of one of the richest companies in the Earth Sphere, wife to the enigmatic Winner Heir, mother of the next company heir, and best friend to the foreign minister.

With her child in her arms, Dorothy leaned over her sleeping husband and gave him a gentle peck on the cheek. As she turned to leave the office, the message on the computer screen caught her eyes.  Searching her vast memory, Dorothy realized that Quatre was in touch with the two honeymooning couples.

                "Hmm, what is my dear husband planning for Ms. Relena?"

Speed reading the messages the plan that Quatre was in the process of setting up to get the Yuy's and the Peacecraft's back to Earth. It seems that Quatre was in the process of having one of the many Winner Family shuttles repainted to look like one of the many passenger shuttles traipsing between the colonies and Earth. Once it was completely repainted (which, as Dorothy read, was going to be finished by early afternoon), it was to be sent to pick up Heero and Relena from their honeymoon on a resort colony that guarded its guests' privacy with a vengeance. From there it was going to pick up Miliardo and Lucrezia from their place on Mars (where their friends from the work they did after the Second Gundam War guarded the privacy of the two even more zealously. Sometimes going as far as verbally threatening the press that tried to sneak on planet and photo the newlyweds). From Mars, the shuttle was to head directly to Earth touching down at around 7 am, hopefully with the press none the wiser.

                "Quatre, you're too kind to your friends.", murmured Dorothy as she cradled her son in her left arm and typed in a short message to the two other participants in the conversation.

On two different laptop computers, in two very distant locations, two men puzzled over the short and to the point message they received.

                _-'My husband is asleep. Now, unless you two want to be consigned to the couch so soon after getting married, I suggest you two newlyweds go join your wives in bed and enjoy the rest of the night. Otherwise I will spill this late night conversation. Love you both. DCW'_

As the third person logged off and ended the conversation, two men scratched their heads and shrugged their shoulders before logging off and shutting down their computers.  The man with the platinum blonde braid, walked over to the king-sized canopy bed, gave his black-haired with a kiss before climbing into the bed and snuggling up next to her warm body.  The man with the tousled brown hair reentered the bedroom and just stood beside the bed where his beautiful honey blonde wife lay with a soft smile on her face and her Lapis Lazuli eyes beckoning for him to return to her waiting arms.  

Back on Earth, Sylvia was sitting in the audience waiting for the awards ceremony to start. Sylvia figured that in the overall she probably ended up in the top five, maybe even the top three. Sylvia also knew that she was getting another award for her accuracy in the women's class. She didn't care about those awards; she wanted to gear the scores for the female shooters. Sylvia wanted to know if she had scored enough points in both of her classes to become the top-ranked female shooter in all of the Earth Sphere United Nations.  

As she sat and paid attention to the speakers on stage complimenting everyone on shooting safely and having fun, Sylvia looked around and tried to find her main opponent. She spotted Mrs. Romaine two rows over and twenty seats down from where Sylvia herself sat, however, after a quick nod Sylvia's eyes roved over some of the officials until they saw the one that they wanted to linger on.  

Sylvia watched Devon as he leaned against the wall with his hands behind his head and waited for the awards ceremony to end. She noted that the object of her unconscious desire seemed a bit restless.  Realizing what she was doing, Sylvia forcibly jerked her head to the front just as the announcer started announcing the winners of the various classes and of the various extra sundry awards. She knew that she was up for one, maybe two extra awards, however she didn't really care about them that much. The only award she wanted was the one for winning the ladies competition and becoming the top-ranked female shooter in the entire Earth Sphere United Nation.

Sylvia was so concentrated on hearing her name announced as the winner of the women's competition that she missed hearing the names of the other division winners.  It took her a minute to realize that the official at the microphone was explaining why the winner for the Women's Competition hadn't been announced.

Paying closer attention, the words she heard caused her jaw to drop.

                "Ladies and Gentlemen, in the many years we have been sponsoring this competition there has never been a result in any class like the one we have today in the Women's Division. With equal scores of 365.5 points and first place in their respective open class groups, Ms. Sylvia Noventa and Mrs. Hazel Romaine have tied for the victory."

Sylvia couldn't believe her ears. She and Mrs. Romaine had tied? 

                **_"We Fucking Tied? I Can Not Believe This Shit! After All the Practice I Did for This One Match, I Can Only Come Away from Here With a Space-Be-Damned Tie?",_**_ fumed the younger woman as she mentally watched her dreams of taking the number one ranking go down the drain._

Still cursing her luck, Sylvia looked over at the top ranked woman and saw that she was taking the news of the tie as hard as Sylvia was, albeit with a slight sigh of relief.  Grumbling, Sylvia returned her attention to the official and listened to what else he had to say even though none of it meant anything for her.

                "It has just been relayed to me by the committee that since the two competitors that tied are ranked number one and number two in the Earth Sphere, by the rules, this match cannot end with a tie. However, one of our officials suggested a way to determine the winner. I would like to have him come up to the dais so that he can explain his suggestion himself. Agent Tanisius do step forward."

Angry beyond comprehension, Sylvia watched as the official in question pushed himself away from his position and started towards the microphone with a steady gait. Leaning forward in her seat, she listened to what the judge had to say.

Devon mounted the short flight of steps and headed across the stage to the microphone. He wondered why in the hell had he opened his mouth in the officials meeting before the ceremony. 

                **_"Why did I open my mouth in that meeting? I can't believe I actually did it. Crap. I made the offer without thinking and now I got to deal with it. Oh well.", _**_thought __Devon__ as he looked out at the crowd. _

Using his walk across the dais to the microphone to gather his thoughts, Devon thought back to when the tie score had been discovered. He had left the tower after his meeting over the disqualification and had gone to get something to drink. On his return one of the more annoying of the officials had pulled him into the tower where all the judges from the Open Class Competition were gathered. It was then that he discovered that Sylvia and Mrs. Romaine had both taken firsts in their respective groups. Mrs. Romaine had more shots on target, but Sylvia's accuracy had been better. He had lifted his head from the almost identically scored targets and tuned into the arguments going on. Listening carefully he had just shook his head in dismay and turned to the only other official that was quiet. He pitched his idea to the man quietly and then waited all of ten seconds before the official quieted the room down and informed the gathered judges of Devon's suggestion. The rest of the group digested the words and agreed on it within a minute.  It was decided on and then Devon was told that the personally was going to judge the shoot off since it was his rifle that the tied competitors were going to be using. 

Taking a careful look across the sea of faces that stared back at him, Devon wished for the umpteenth time that he had kept quiet. Spotting the two faces he was looking for, he directed his words to them.

                "Mrs. Romaine, Ms. Noventa; it has been decided that the two of you will have a shoot off. However neither of you will be using your own weapons. In order to make this as fair as possible I suggested and my suggestion was accepted.  To decide this match and the ranking, both of you will be using my personal weapon.", stated Devon.

Immediately, Sylvia Noventa's hand went up indicating that she had a question. Devon acknowledged her and waited for her words.

                "Why must we use your rifle, Agent Tanisius? I believe that Mrs. Romaine's weapon and my own will be sufficient to decide this competition.", snapped Sylvia loudly.

                "Yes, your personal weapons would be sufficient. However, the targets will not be at a thousand yards. They will be at twice that distance. Ms. Noventa, you and Mrs. Romaine will be shooting targets at two thousand yards."

There was silence in the room. Sylvia and Mrs. Romaine had their jaws opened in slack-jawed astonishment.  All was quiet for a second as everyone in the area had digested the new information, then the room erupted into pandemonium. Contestants and fans were discussing the range and decision very loudly and Devon allowed the conversation for a few minutes.  However as the noise level increased exponentially, he tapped the head of the microphone and elicited a loud blast of feedback that immediately shut everyone up as they held their ears.  Clearing his throat, Devon went on to explain that he was going to be the sole judge of this shoot off and his word on the winner was final. 

                "The shoot off will begin in thirty minutes on range Seventeen. Ms. Noventa, Mrs. Romaine; please join me there in ten minutes. At that time the two of you will see the weapon you will be using for the first time and I will explain it to you.  Ladies, I wish you luck and I hope that your shirts are well padded. You'll need it."

Finished with his short speech, Devon stepped back from the microphone and left the stage. Four minutes after leaving the tent, he was walking through the late afternoon shadows on his way to range seventeen. He wanted to get there so he could have everything ready for when the two women showed up. 

Once he reached his rifle, Devon reached down beside the big thing and picked his ammo bag up. Keying in his personal code into the very secure lock, he unzipped the bag and opened. Once it was open Devon reached in and pulled out four extra five round magazines and placed them on the bench rest. After checking to see if he had enough clips for his exhibition and picking up the loose round he saw at the bottom of the case, Devon resealed his bag and straightened up. Hearing two pairs of feminine footsteps, Devon resettled his glasses on his nose and turned around to face the two approaching women.  Devon waited for them to stop. When they did, he stepped aside and showed them what they were going to be shooting. 

                "Mrs. Romaine, Ms. Noventa let me introduce you to the weapon that you will be shooting. It is a fifty caliber semi automatic rifle originally made by a long defunct Earth arms company. It is accurate out to 2000 yards and then some. Back in its heyday this weapon or weapons similar to it were used to take out small unarmored vehicles like jeeps, cars, aircraft engines, radar dishes, etc.  Nowadays, rifles like these are only made for special order.  I've had this one for about ten years. It fires ten rounds from a box-style magazine. There are five round magazines for other versions of this weapon or one of the ten round clips can be modified to only hold five rounds."

Hazel and Sylvia nodded as Devon continued to explain about the weapon that they would be shooting. He finished up his explanation with how this shoot off was going to be ran. 

                "Each of you will be given one ten round clip.  You will be shooting at one target 2000 yards downrange. When you have each expended your allotted ten shots, your targets will be judged on accuracy and amount of shots in the target. Any questions?", asked Devon as he leaned against the bench.

Neither Sylvia nor Hazel had any questions and Devon went ahead and showed them how to load the clip and attach their clips to the rifle.  Since the two women had tied with identical scores, it was decided that they would flip a coin to see who would shoot first. Devon reached into one of his pockets and took out a small silver coin. He showed the sides to both ladies to prove that it wasn't a trick coin. It was decided that Sylvia would make the call while the coin was flipping through the air; if the coin landed on whatever Sylvia called (be it either heads or tails), she would choose if she wanted to go first or second.  If it landed opposite what the younger lady called, Mrs. Romaine would make the choice. 

Devon looked at both women and asked if they were ready. When they indicated that it was, he flipped the coin into the air.

                "Ms. Noventa, your call."

                "I call heads.", stated Sylvia as the trio watched the silver disk as it flipped through the air. 

When the coin landed in Devon's hand, tails was facing up. Devon showed it to both women and then turned to Mrs. Romaine and told her it was her choice. When she chose to shoot after Sylvia, the younger woman groaned in resignation.

Devon nodded and informed the other officials that Sylvia was shooting first.  Then he turned to Sylvia and asked if she wanted to wait a few moments.  Sylvia said no and told him that she wanted to go ahead and shoot. Devon nodded and turned to Mrs. Romaine. 

                "Mrs. Romaine, you need to go behind the safety line. I am the only one allowed in the immediate area of the shooter while she is shooting.  Please excuse us."

The top-ranked female shooter grumbled but did as she was told. Even she knew that at this range, her competitor needed all of her concentration. Taking a seat, she sat back and watched as the other woman stepped up to the large caliber rifle. 

At the firing line, Sylvia was looking through the spotters' scope to make sure she could see her target. Nodding to herself, she shifted from the spotter's scope to the scope on the top of the rifle. Looking through the scope, she asked for Devon to adjust the scope so that her target came into focus. Once that was done, Sylvia sat in the chair provided, charged the rifle with her ten rounds, and indicated to Devon that she was ready. Devon acknowledged the indication and picked up the handset on the wall. Calling the helpers in the pit at the far end of the range, Devon asked if the range was clear. Getting a positive answer he hung up the handset and picked up the PA microphone.

                "Range control; range seventeen lane ten is clear."

                "Copy range clear, lane clear. The range is yours.", replied the voice from range control.

Devon nodded and with one last look down range through his binoculars he continued on with his spiel.

                "Ms. Noventa, the range is clear. You are cleared to chamber one round of ammunition."

The crowd was silent as the familiar sound of a rifle being charged rang out into the early evening.  Devon nodded and continued.

                "Lane ten is live. Ms. Noventa you are cleared to disengage the weapons safety."

Sylvia did so and relaxed so she could concentrate on her breathing. Putting every thing out of her mind except for the live weapon that was in her hands, she waited for the signal to start shooting. 

Devon took a deep breath and looked at the gathered crowd. Readying himself, Devon gave Sylvia the command she was waiting for.

                "Lane ten you are cleared to commence firing."

Immediately following his statement, Sylvia pulled the trigger and the sound of a large caliber rifle rang out across the range with its deep throated blast. 

Although he was used to it, Devon loved to hear his weapon speak. Whether it was in anger or not, the sound of the big fifty caliber going off never failed to excite him and he grinned. As he grinned he was reminded of a joke a fellow owner of a fifty caliber rifle told him at one of his matches a few years back.

                _-"Young man, you can always tell the owner of a fifty caliber rifle from a lesser rifle at the firing range."_

_            -"How can I tell that, sir?"_

_            -"You just look for the person who is rubbing their shoulder and has the biggest shit-eating grin on their face. That smile tells you that its owner has a fifty and has become entranced by the firepower under his or her command."_

_            -"I see, thank you sir."_

_            -"Don't mention it. Oh yeah one other thing, when you take your own fifty to the range and feel its power, never forget that feeling. The feeling of firing a big dammed gun with a big dammed round. As long as you live, never forget that feeling."_

Devon had grinned and went along with what the man said thinking it was poppycock until he had caressed the trigger of his own fifty caliber to send a round down range. At that moment, he understood what the man had been trying to tell him. Next time he saw the guy, Devon had silently thanked him before sending a round into the man's chest.  He had been an exceptionally cruel prison camp commandant and Devon had been assigned to take him out. He had done so with one round from his fifty at 1972 yards. Afterwards, Devon felt shame for killing the man who had turned him on to the power of a fifty caliber sniper rifle.

For her part, Sylvia was taking her fifth shot of this shoot off.  Looking through the scope, Sylvia saw that her first two shots had hit the target but were slightly more spread out than she was used to.  She figured it was because of her unfamiliarity with the weapon she was using.  As she pulled the trigger for her third shot, Sylvia felt that by taking her time, she could get used to the big rifle and hopefully shoot a better score. Already she was feeling the effects of the recoil. This rifle fired rounds that were larger, more powerful, and destructive than she was used to.

                **_"Fifth shot's away and my shoulder is beginning to get sore.  Concentrate on your immediate task and put the pain out of your mind.", _**_thought Sylvia as she took a deep breath in preparation for shot number six._

Behind Sylvia, Mrs. Romaine studied her opponent with a critical eye.  Hazel Romaine knew that she had a fight on her hands. Sylvia Noventa was young, very experienced, a veteran shooter, and damn near unshakeable when she was on the firing line. The few times Mrs. Romaine had seen Noventa make a mistake were few and very far between. The rest of the times, Sylvia Noventa was a solid rock. If not for a few bad scores, Sylvia Noventa would be the number one female shooter in the whole ESUN.

                **_"And she wouldn't relinquish that spot without a battle. If Sylvia ever was ranked number one, it would be just about impossible to knock her from that spot.", _**_sighed Mrs. Romaine as she took another drink of her water._

Back on the firing line, Devon watched as Ms. Noventa took her seventh, eighth, and ninth shots. He had been impressed with how Ms. Noventa handled the large weapon. After each of her shots, he had looked through his spotting scope to see where the rounds had been hitting. Devon also had been judging her form as she shot. He had a feeling that the sitting position was very unusual for her. A third of the way through her magazine, Devon noticed that she had adapted to the unusual position and he mentally gave her five points for that. 

Now, Devon watched carefully. He knew that VFM Noventa was on her last round and was taking her time.  With one eye to the spotting scope and the other eye on the shooter, Devon anticipated the trigger break. When it did and the rifle discharged the last round, Devon watched its vapor trail as it sped 6000 feet down range to imbed itself in the target. When he was sure of the hit, Devon waited as the target descended out of site.  Once it was; the Preventer stepped back from the scope and raised his head.  Going through the litany of commands, Devon made sure that his rifle was safe, the empty clip had been ejected, and that the shooter had stepped back from the rifle. Once the competitor was away from the weapon, Devon did a very detailed weapon inspection.  Satisfied with his inspection, Devon turned to Sylvia and extended his hand. 

                "Thank you Ms. Noventa. You may now step behind the line. I wish you good luck with your score."

Sylvia accepted Devon's hand and his thanks before moving over to where Mrs. Romaine sat. Nodding at the elder shooter, Sylvia waited for her competitor to vacate the chair before seating herself.  Not long after she sat down, Sylvia received a bottle of water. Thanking the considerate official who brought the bottle, Sylvia opened it and took a drink. Recapping the bottle, Sylvia sat it in her lap and watched as Devon went through his spiel with Mrs. Romaine. 

Sylvia hoped that at some point in her ten allotted shots, Mrs. Romaine would falter. However she knew that this scenario with her shooting first, played right into the older woman's hands.  This situation was the kind Mrs. Romaine thrived on. Being challenged by an expert shooter who threatened her #1 ranking, she excelled at situations like this.

Sylvia knew this because she had witnessed it in the previous competitions. The more pressure that was put on her, the better Hazel Romaine shot. 

                **_"I wouldn't put it past that heifer to shoot a perfect score on this target with that big dammed rifle. Dammit, I wish she had shot first! Hah, if she had, knowing her, Mrs. Romaine would have shot a perfect or near perfect score just to spite me."_**_, fumed Sylvia as she rubbed her shoulder some more._

On the firing line, Devon was watching as Mrs. Romaine sent her third shot down range.  As Sylvia and Mrs. Romaine had switched places, he had gotten word that the first target was on its way back to him so he could score it when he got Mrs. Romaine's target back. From what he could see, it was Mrs. Romaine's' match to win or lose.  Looking through the official spotting scope, he saw that her groups were so close you could cover them with a nickel.****

                **_"Hmm, this is going to be a close one to judge and score.", _**_thought __Devon__ as he watched another shot speed downrange._

Also on the firing line, Mrs. Romaine was concentrating on the target downrange.  With her mind empty except for the task at hand, Hazel Romaine continued in giving a class on perfect shooting. Her body was aligned and steady.   

Mrs. Romaine pulled her trigger finger out of the trigger guard and studied her target through the scope some more. Seeing the holes in the paper target where her previous rounds had impacted the target, she asked that Devon make a slight adjustment to the scope. Once he did so, she cracked out another three shots and again studying the target. 

                **_"Two shots left. I better make them count. Although my last eight were perfect and on target.", _**_gloated Mrs. Romaine as she took a deep breath._

 Exhaling half of her breath, the top-ranked female shooter prepared to send her final two bullets down range. Putting the pain from the jarring rifle out of her mind, she took up the slack on the trigger and waited for the correct moment to send her ninth shot down the range.  After another check of the target and a glance at the windsock on the side of the range seventeen tower, Mrs. Romaine sent her tenth and final shot down the range.  Safeing the rifle and ejecting the empty clip, Romaine got out of the seat and stepped back from the rifle to allow the official to do his safety inspection of the weapon.   Once that was finished, she accepted his handshake and returned to where Sylvia presently sat.

Sylvia stood up and waited for Mrs. Romaine to return. When she did, she extended her own hand in sportsmanship.  When the two women finished congratulating each other an alert concessions attendant brought them and extra chair and the two sat back down.  Sylvia watched with hidden amusement as Mrs. Romaine rubbed her shoulder where the big gun had bruised her shoulder with its recoil. 

                "That big bastard has a helluva kick doesn't it?", asked Sylvia when her opponent finished rubbing the bruise.

                "Yes it does. I haven't shot any rifle that has anywhere near the recoil of that big behemoth. I'll still be sore for a few hours after that.", replied Mrs. Romaine. 

As the two ladies chatted about their experiences with the rifle, Devon was inside the range tower scoring both targets.  So far both women had done exceptionally well. Shot for shot, these two were the best of the best. He grumbled to himself as he compared the holes in the targets that were circled in yellow ink.  It didn't help that he had two men watching him and making sure that he was impartial.

Lifting his head and pinching the bridge of his nose to relieve a bit of tension, Devon shifted his gaze back to the VFM's target.  Scrutinizing the target carefully, Devon made some mental notes and compared them with his mental notes of the other target.  As he compared the two targets mentally, something in Devon's mind spotted an inconsistency. 

                "Wait a minute. Hand me Mrs. Romaine's target for a moment.", said Devon suddenly.

There was a rustle of paper as somebody slid the other target into his hand.  Picking both targets up, Devon walked over to the window and held the two targets up side by side.  Not seeing what his subconsciousness had noticed, Devon shifted the targets to that one target was superimposed over the other.  First he put the Noventa target on top. Not seeing anything, he reversed the targets and put the Romaine target on top. And that was when he saw it.

A slight difference in the two targets. 

Although the bullets had hit in the exact same place on the different targets, there was a very miniscule difference. Devon brought both targets back to the table in the middle of the room and grabbed a magnifying glass.  Going over the targets, Devon found what he was looking for. Marking it, he handed the glass to the other judges to confirm what he had seen.  

When everything was confirmed, all three judges separately added up the point totals and came up with the final score of the match.  After double checking each other's work, Devon called for a messenger. Once the messenger arrived, he was given an envelope with the name of the shoot-off winner inside of it and was instructed to take it to the head officials. 

Back outside, Sylvia and Mrs. Romaine saw the messenger as he left with the envelope. The pair rose from their seats and headed to where Devon and the other judges were exiting the range tower.  The two competitors met up with the three judges and were told that the winner would be declared in the awards tent. 

A few minutes later, Mrs. Romaine, Sylvia, Devon, and the two other judges were in the awards tent waiting for the winner to be officially announced. Inside the tent it was very raucous. A few had stayed in the tent for the after match party while others had come out and watched the shoot off between Noventa and Romaine. The majority of the people who left the tent to watch the shoot off were some of the other female competitors, many of whom had a vested interest in the outcome of this match.  They knew that by the end of the match today there was going to be a major shake-up in the rankings. Especially among the top two spots.

A short time later, Devon was back at his rifle and was in the midst of his exhibition. To accommodate Devon and show the observers the power of Devon's rifle, the match organizers had had several pieces of used military equipment brought out onto the range.  Old jeeps, armored personnel carriers, obsolete aircraft, and some decommissioned mobile suits were doing duty as victims of Devon's accuracy and ability.  As he shot round after armor piercing round, the crowd oohed and ahhhed at the destructive power wielded by the expert rifleman pulling the trigger. 

Twenty feet beyond the firing line, the top-ranked female shooter in the ESUN was observing the exhibition with undisguised glee on her face.  Still resting her shoulder, she accepted the acclaims from the other competitors for her performance during the match. For her it had been a hard fought match that went down to the wire. There was only a very small difference between first and second place in this competition.  

Sylvia Noventa accepted the congratulations from another competitor as she continued to observe and enjoy the exhibition that was being given.  Each time she thought about how narrow her victory over Mrs. Romaine was, Sylvia couldn't help but break into a big grin. 

Sylvia had won the shooting match by the slimmest margin they had ever seen. Because of a slight sighting error, Mrs. Romaine's eighth shot had gone just a little high. The round had hit in the exact same spot as Sylvia's round, however since the majority of the hole was in the third ring out, it had been scored as an 8 instead of a 9.  That fraction of an inch cost Hazel Romaine the victory and her number on ranking. 

After it had been announced, Sylvia had stood on stage with a stunned expression on her face. Hazel came up and was the first to congratulate her on the win and her moving into the top spot. Since she was the defending champion of this particular match; Mrs. Romaine had, as per tradition, taken the trophy off the awards table and handed it to Sylvia.  Since her lost also knocked her from her pedestal as the number one female shooter, Mrs. Romaine had also unpinned her competition number one from her blouse and (also by tradition) pinned  on to Sylvia's shirt thus acknowledging her new position as the number one ranked ladies shooter in the Earth Sphere United Nation.

Now that all the accolades had been given and the match officially ended, Sylvia sat back and relaxed as she watched Devon's exhibition, or tried to. Sitting in a chair positioned directly behind the shooter was giving Sylvia an excellent view of Devon as he worked the trigger of the massive weapon. Unfortunately it was also giving the libidinous side of Sylvia's mind a lot of ammunition to torture her with.  At the moment, it was teasing her by continuously drawing her eyes and attention back to the agent's backside each time Sylvia tried to watch the exhibition. Finally, Sylvia couldn't take it anymore; her neck was killing her so she just surrendered to the inevitable and let her gaze drop to where her libido wanted it.

On the firing line, Devon was waiting for his final target to appear. The last target was supposed to simulate what one fifty caliber rifle round could do to a human head. A watermelon was to be placed on its own flat stand. However, somebody decided to get tricky and placed the fruit on a very hard to see spot in the disabled jeep.  Devon realized this as he scoped the targets and saw a piece of the melon in the gap between the two front seats.

                **_"Dammit, whoever was in charge of placing the targets has a sense of humor. The asshole!",_**_ thought __Devon__ as he scoped the target._

Since he had gotten a late start to the exhibition, Devon knew that by the time he got to the end of the show, he would be shooting in dim light and would have a hard time seeing and correcting his shots.  To compensate for the growing darkness and give the watchers a show they would never forget, Devon had switched his regular clip with one where tracers rounds of different colors were scattered throughout the ten round clip. So far the crowd had been thrilled when every other shot left a brightly lit tail as it sped down range. They'd ooh'ed and ahh'ed as the brilliant green, red, and orange tracers streaked down to embed themselves in the targets.

Taking a deep breath and sighting in on the little bit of watermelon that was visible through his scope, Devon settled into what he called his 'trance'.  The trance was a state of mind that Devon slipped into when he was on assignment for his shadow partner. It calmed him down and steadied his thoughts.  Once he slipped into the 'trance' Devon could stay in it indefinitely if needed. He once waited six days for his target to appear. Of the six, he was in his trance for four of them. 

Now on this range, he again found himself slipping into that state as he concentrated on the watermelon. All extraneous sights, sounds, and smells disappeared as if a black hole had sucked them in. It was just Devon and the target. 

As if he was on automatic, Devon caressed the trigger with the gentlest of touches.  He compared his caressing pull of the trigger to the act of his driving a woman wild with just his touch. The trigger broke with barely any effort and Devon's last round left the barrel at 2910 feet per second trailing a yellow tail as it went downrange. Releasing his breath, Devon watched as his round struck the visible part of the watermelon with explosive force.  It hit the fruit with devastating results before the supersonic _crack_ of the bullet passing through the sound barrier was heard by the crowd.  The melon exploded in an awe-inspiring and sobering spectacle of watermelon pulp and juice.  One minute the melon was there and the net it was gone. Many of the expert shooters in the crowd made an effort to swallow their gasps. Those shooters realized that the accuracy of the man now lifting his head from the scope was not to be matched.  Some of the female shooters in the crowd who knew that the exhibition shooter was a Preventers Agent- including Mrs. Hazel Romaine-hoped that no one they knew would ever find themselves on the receiving end of such a shot. 

For Sylvia Noventa, she was trying to control her breathing. Except in her case it wasn't about the destruction that had been wreaked on the watermelon by a single trigger pull (well not completely) but by the sight of the slow caress of the trigger that the man had used to fire his shot. Her libido was gleefully inundating her mind with the images of what a caress from Devon could do to her naked skin.  Hearing Devon's voice over the loudspeaker, Sylvia hurriedly brought her attention back to the present and tried her damnedest to wipe the slightly idiotic grin off of her face. 

Devon safed his rifle and ejected his empty magazine as he activated the Lavaliere microphone securely attached to the collar of his shirt.  Ignoring the noise, Devon finished up his routine and made sure that the chamber was empty, the safety switch was engaged, and there was no magazine in the magazine well.  Just to be on the extra safe side, Devon inserted a bullet-shaped metal plug in the breech. 

                "Ladies and Gentlemen, you have just seen what a single round of .50 caliber ammunition can do.  If you have any questions, I will be around the official tent in approximately twenty minutes. This concludes my exhibition.", stated Devon in a voice as still as glacier cold ice.  

Finished with his short speech, Devon turned off the microphone and turned back to the rifle.  Reaching down to the side of the stand, he picked up his rifle case and proceeded to place the weapon inside. Once it was inside and snugged down and secured, he closed and locked the case before reaching down again and picking up his gear bag.  With his gear bag up on the shooting bench and open, Devon gathered up his spent casings and placed them in a plastic bag brought especially for the purpose of carrying his expended brass for his study later.  Once all the brass was policed up, Devon moved on to grabbing his empty magazines and placing them in the bottom of the case.  With that done, he reached into the bag and pulled out a tube of the substance he used to sooth his aching shoulder muscle.  Once the tub was out and in one of his pockets, Devon closed the bag and slung it over his off hand shoulder then reached down and grabbed the handle of his case and headed off of the firing line in the direction of the officials lounge.

As he walked towards his destination, Devon did not talk except to answer direct questions. When he did, the questioners quickly left him alone; intimidated by the emotionless and toneless answers they received. Devon saw this but wasn't offended. He was used to it. Each time he slipped into his shooter's trance, his voice became almost mechanical but with a dark overtone hinted at.  Devon had learned that his voice would only return to its usual tone after he brought himself completely out of his trance. 

After a fifteen minute walk, Devon entered the officials lounge and headed for his temporary locker.  Once there, he opened it and placed his bag inside after retrieving the supplies he used to clean the big weapon.  Once the supplies and the weapon were on the table installed for that purpose, Devon broke the weapon down to its component pieces and went to work. First thing he did was remove the metal plug he had placed in the breech before putting the weapon in its case.  After that, Devon proceeded with cleaning the rifle of the accumulated gunpowder residue and anything else that would hinder the accuracy and safety of his weapon. 

Devon took his time with each piece, going over it several times. This was routine for Devon as well but it served another purpose.  The repetitious motions helped bring Devon completely out of his shooter's trance and back to the present time.  Thirty five minutes later, Devon was reassembling the weapon and replacing it in its case. Once the rifle was back in its case and the case closed and locked, only then did he allow himself to relax. As he did so, Devon felt the throbbing pain in his shoulder from the recoil of the rifle. 

Rising up from the chair, Devon carried the rifle over to his lockers and carefully deposited the case on top of the lockers with the handle situated where he could grab it with ease on his way out to his jeep.  Letting his shoulders drop, Devon reached into his pocket and pulled out the tube he had grabbed before closing the bag on the range. Dropping the tube on the table, Devon took off his shirt. 

With his shirt off, one could see that on the left side of Devon's chest was a primitive tattoo that was almost tribal in its appearance. To some it looked like a collection of marks. To others-usually those with excellent imaginations- it looked like one of the big cats of lore. 

Devon ran his hand over the tattoo before reaching down and uncapping the tube on the table. Squeezing a small bit into his hand, Devon proceeded to rub the lotion over his shoulder where the butt of the weapon had recoiled.  Within minutes after starting, Devon felt the muscle pain slowly vanish as the crème did its job.  Once the pain was gone and the lotion completely rubbed in, Devon replaced his shirt, capped the lotion, and returned it to his pocket.  Then with a small look of contentment, he left the lounge to mingle and answer more questions. 

Back outside of the official lounge, Sylvia conversed with a few of the other competitors as she nibbled on some of the finger foods that were left over from the awards ceremony.  Every so often she reached up and rubbed her shoulder where the big rifle had recoiled and bruised her shoulder.  At the moment she was talking with another politician who had competed but in a different division. 

During the conversation, Sylvia's eyes had been unconsciously drifting around the room as her libido took control and searched for the object of its attention. After a few moments,. Sylvia's subconscious spotted her target and she excused herself from the politician with a promise of a meeting during the week to discuss the agenda. 

Dropping her empty plate in the nearest garbage receptacle, Sylvia watched as Devon entered the area with a mini legion of followers who were questioning him about the specifications of his rifle and bullets he used. Some were asking him where they could get such a rifle, while several of the single female shooters (and a couple of the married ones) were trying to find out if he had a significant other. Sylvia could see that the repetitiveness of the questions was beginning to wear on the man's nerves.  Stepping out where he could see her, Sylvia waited.

Devon was tired and slightly sore. His stomach was subtly informing him that it was empty and that he needed to refuel it soon if he didn't want to be embarrassed.  He had been answering questions and turning down dinner invitations from the moment he had left the lounge. Now as the umpteenth woman tried to surreptitiously slip her phone number and address into his pocket, Devon spotted Sylvia Noventa and grinned.  Quickly breaking free of the crowd and heading in her direction, he figured that he could talk with her for a bit and make his escape.  

Closing in on Sylvia with a posse of hangers on behind him Devon saw her reach up and rub her shoulder.  Reaching into his pocket and pulling the lotion out, Devon waited for her to catch his eye and then held the tube up. Seeing her weary nod, he stepped over and shook her hand again. 

                "Congratulations on your victory and new ranking Ms. Noventa. I am happy to see that your work has paid off. Now that you are the top ranked female shooter in the entire Earth Sphere United Nation, what do you plan on doing?", asked Devon as he accepted a glass of juice from a passing waiter. 

                "Thank you Agent Tanisius and thank you again for letting me use your rifle in the shoot off.  As the new number one, I plan on defending that ranking for as long as I can.  But right now, I just want to go home, take care of my shoulder, then go to bed and get some sleep. My grandmother and I are expected at church tomorrow. What about you Agent Tanisius?"

                "First I am going to get something to eat, then I am going home and getting some sleep myself.  Tomorrow morning I plan on working out for a bit before a meeting at Preventer Headquarters.  I may be able to help you with that shoulder. I bet it is still sore from the shoot-off."

Sylvia nodded but her nod turned into a grimace as another muscle spasm hit. She opened her mouth but Devon shook her words off and offered her a tube of lotion. 

                "Try this, I use it all the time after I shoot that cannon. As many times as I have shot the fifty, the recoil still hurts. This lotion relaxes the muscle and then goes deep to get rid of the pain. It also soothes other aches and pains you have.  And the good thing about it is that it is unscented so that no one knows you're wearing it. I just finished using it on my shoulder."

Sylvia tried to decline the lotion but was rebuffed as he explained that he had more at home.  Then with a quick nod of his head, he left her with the tube in her hands and words of thanks that died on her lips. Shaking the temporary breathlessness off, Sylvia stuck the lotion in her pants pocket for later transfer to her gear bag.  Then she violently squelched the traitorous thought that popped up in her mind along with the erotic image that accompanied it.  Turning from the spot she was in, Sylvia promised herself a cold shower to cool down her sensually sizzling libido when she got home. 

After a few more hours of listening to inane small talk and gossip from her fellow shooters, Sylvia decided to cal it a night and headed for the competitors lounge retrieve her rifles and her gear bag.  As she grabbed her stuff and headed out to her car, her stomach grumbled and she tried to suppress a yawn.  Glancing at her watch as she covered her mouth, she noted the time.

                "Almost 9 o'clock pm. At home dinner is over and the food will probably already be put up by the time I got home. I'll stop off at a one of the places on the main street and grab something. Grandmother won't approve but she won't chastise me for it either. Now Janelle might be another matter. She does fret so when I don't get a balanced meal.  Oh well, I'll deal with that when it comes up.", Sylvia muttered.

Disarming the alarm for her car, Sylvia opened the trunk and placed her rifle case inside before closing it and heading for the driver's side door.  As she climbed in to the low slung bucket seat, Sylvia cast one eye up at the sky and saw the gathered clouds.  Figuring that it might start to rain before she got home, Sylvia started the engine then activated the motor for the convertible top and waited as the top rose from its place from underneath the tonneau cover behind the driver's seat and silently motored forward into position.  Once the convertible top was in its raised position, Sylvia locked it down with the necessary levers and sighed in relief. Rolling her window half way down, she disengaged the parking brake and moved the gearshift from neutral to first gear before letting off the clutch and pulling off. 

With the window partially down, Sylvia used her left hand to steer through the parking lot while fiddling with the radio controls with her right.  She found an easy-listening channel on the tuner and let it stay there as she navigated through the gravelly lot.  As she neared the entrance to the street, Sylvia saw a man carrying a rifle case head towards a beat up jeep.  Watching, the man placed his battle-scarred case in the back of the jeep before dropping a gear back on the passenger side and grabbing the roll bar and swinging himself up and into the vehicle with ease.   Once in the driver's seat, Sylvia watched as the man reached up under the dash of the jeep and pull out two identically sized objects and place them within his reach before reaching into his pocket, pulling out an average sized keychain and placing a single key in the ignition before starting the old truck.  

Curious at the identity of the man, Sylvia switched her parking lights from that setting to the normal lights setting.  Quickly adjusting to the sudden brightness, she looked back at the truck and was surprised to see that the man in question was Agent Tanisius. Even more surprising was that in the split second it had taken her to go from parking lights to normal low beams, he had vaulted himself out of the jeep after scooping up whatever it was he had placed on the seat, knelt beside the vehicle as if he was hiding from hidden gunfire and had both hands pointed in her direction. 

Devon was calling himself every such fool he could think of as he knelt beside his jeep. He had managed to ditch his followers and made his way out to his jeep with his gear bag and case.  Wearily climbing into his jeep and pulling his two pistols from their spot, he had placed them on the seat beside him. Cranking the engine on the jeep and thinking about what he was going to do when he got home. Devon was in the process of reaching for the gearshift when the lights from the passing car had switched from the low orange glow from parking lights to the normal high intensity crisp white lights of normal headlights and caught him by surprise. Reacting as he had been trained, Devon had grabbed the two .40 caliber pistols on the seat and thrown himself out of the car with the pistols in his hands seeking target acquisition even before he realized it. 

Now with his handguns pointed at a position above the headlights where the driver's head would approximately be, Devon let his pulse slow before rising to his feet and, with weapons still extended, walking to the sports car that had stopped.   When he got close enough to the partially lowered window to recognize the silhouette gaping at him backlit by the soft glow of the low lights from the console, Devon cursed and lowered his pistols. 

In her car, Sylva tried to regain control of her racing heartbeat as the agent slowly stalked in her direction with a deadly scowl on his face.  As he got closer, the thoughts in her head became jumbled.  She had been very surprised when she had recognized the pistols and found herself on the wrong end of them.

With her gaze still on the approaching agent, Sylvia's right hand reached for the ignition only to halt when Devon's voice reached out to her. 

                "Madam Vice Foreign Minister, please put your hands on the steering wheel where I can see them. That way I can be sure you aren't reaching for anything threatening.  Better yet, why don't you step out of the car and we can get this situation under control.", sighed Devon as he stopped a few feet away from the VFM's vehicle with his weapons still pointed towards the ground but ready to snap up into target acquisition if need be.

Sylvia didn't want to but the politician in her mind let her know that it would be safer if she did. Taking her car out of gear and pulling the parking break, she climbed out of the car and willed her breathing to steady out. Closing the door behind her, she took a step away from it and extended her hands to show that she wasn't armed.  Devon saw the empty hands and sighed. Sylvia heard the click as the safeties of both weapons were engaged. 

                "What happened, Agent Tanisius?", asked Sylvia as she leaned back against her car.

                "You surprised me when you turned your lights fully on and my body just reacted like I was trained.", answered Devon.

                "I surprised you just by turning on my lights? That's not possible."

                "It is possible. I reacted as I was trained during the First Gundam War."

Sylvia was stunned. The man in front of her couldn't be much older than she was and here he was talking as if he was a soldier during the first war. She didn't' believe him and let him know it.

                "Yes I was a soldier during the first war. I was a fifteen year old mercenary sniper.", stated Devon as he bent the truth a bit.

                "Really?"

                "Yes, and when you turned on your lights my body reacted just like I was trained."

                "I see. Well, I apologize for surprising you like that although I am surprised that as an agent of Preventer you are allowed to carry your weapons with you. I thought that once you left headquarters, you were only allowed to carry one personal weapon."

                "I carry two because I've always carried a pair of concealed handguns wherever I went. It just carried over from my mercenary training. Now if you'll excuse me madam Vice Foreign Minister I must be going. Next time please do not surprise me. We were lucky this time that I recognized your headlights for what they were."

Sylvia nodded then watched as Devon turned and headed back to his vehicle. Once she saw that he was in his jeep, Sylvia turned and reentered her own car and restarted it. With one last look at Devon, she shifted into gear and pulled out of the lot.  In her review mirror, Sylvia could see Devon doing the same.  When she was far enough away from the parking lot, Sylvia sighed and headed for the first fast food joint she saw.  Twenty-seven minutes and two hamburgers and a large soda later, Sylvia was pulling her car into the driveway of Noventa Manor and heading for the garage where the families' private vehicles were. 

Pulling her car into its spot, Sylvia shut off her engine and relaxed for a minute before undoing her seat belt and climbing out of the silent vehicle. Activating the trunk release, Sylvia went to the trunk and retrieved her weapons case. Yawning loudly, she closed the trunk and returned back to the open driver's side door. Reaching in, she grabbed her gear bag and pulled it out of the car. Placing it on her shoulder, Sylvia closed the car door and headed for the door to the house. Once inside the house proper, Sylvia made her way to the armory and keyed in her code to pen the door. Deciding against just leaving the two rifles on the table, Sylvia opened the shutters on her wall of the armory and replaced the two weapons in their spots.  Closing the shutters, Sylvia replaced the case underneath the table and left the armory. Waiting for the thick door to close, she yawned again.  Once the door, was closed and locked, Sylvia headed into the kitchen to see if there was anything left from dinner. Spotting the large hoagie sandwich and chips on the plate, Sylvia looked in the direction of the baroness's office and offered up a thankful smile. 

Grabbing the plate and then diving into the refrigerator for a soda, Sylvia took the meal upstairs to her suite of rooms. Entering the plush room, she saw that her overly efficient maid, Jan had thoughtfully set out a pair of pajamas.  Placing the plate of food on her desk, Sylvia strode over to her bed and sat down. Untying her boots and loosening the laces, she kicked off the footwear and proceeded to strip down to her underwear.  She had planned to take a bath but nixed that plan as another yawn burst forth from her mouth. 

Once she was attired in the sleepwear, Sylvia grabbed her plate of food and moved it to her bed. 

                **_"Ahh, the hell with it, if Jan complains I'll just play it off.",_**_ thought Sylvia as she used the remote to turn on her stereo system and let the music flow throughout the room._

Ten minutes after the radio came on, Vice Foreign Minister Sylvia Rene' Noelle Noventa, Thirteenth Baroness of the Noventa Barony, and now the top ranked female shooter in the E.S.U.N., was fast asleep with her sandwich and chips half-eaten. The pains of her shoulder forgotten as she dreamed of a dark-skinned bespectacled young man. 

And with that, I bring the first chapter of "Sylvia's Solitary Soldier to a close. As always, I thank you for the time you took in reading this story. The next chapter will continue the story of Devon Tanisius and Sylvia Noventa. Plus some familiar characters will slowly start to make their appearances.

The author wishes to thank his friends and pre-readers C.Queen, Nova, and Lady Ash for their continued pressing him to get this and other stories worked on and out to share with you.  I also want to thank my Technical Advisor for the help he has given me and I dedicate this first chapter to him; Eagle-1, this one's for you, compadre. 

As always, any mistakes that you notice are mine and I apologize for those.  To all of my readers who are competitive shooters, if I made any mistakes in regards to the correct way a shooting match is run and in any weapon calibers or preparation, I apologize profusely and will aim to correct that as the story goes along. 

I hope that you have enjoyed this chapter and are awaiting the next one. Review if you want, I accept them all and as usual, flames will find their way into my 'File 13' to be promptly forgotten. Again, I thank you for taking your time in reading this.

**_Knightewolfe's Lair. 3-28-04_**

****


	3. Small Problems

I'm back and so is the story of Sylvia Noventa.

Read and Enjoy.

Disclaimer:  Reread the first chapter.

I do not own Gundam Wing. The only character that belongs to me

is Devon Tanisius.

**_Sylvia's Solitary Soldier_**

**__**

_Chapter 2: Small Problems._

A.C. 201

Unknown location.

In a darkened room, one man sat alone in a high-backed chair. In front of him was a desk with a monitor. On the monitor were the pictures and files of five different people. Of the five pictures, two were of young women while the remaining three were of young men. The five looked to range in age from the mid to late teens to the early to mid twenties with the oldest being the long-haired young lady on the left side of the screen. Adjusting his glasses, the man behind the desk studied the information on the screen in front of him.

"Adrienne Nicole Tanisius. Age: 25. Single but engaged to be married in two months. She's the oldest of this set of five. Adrienne excels at archery and has a doctoral degree in chemistry. During the first Gundam War, she was a member of the Banshee Mercenary Brigade. Her assassin's specialty: slow acting binary poisons.", murmured the man as he sped through the rest of the dossier.

Shifting his attention to the next picture, the bespectacled men grunted before reaching for the rectangular package sitting by his left hand. Holding the pack and tapping the top of it, the man extricated a single cigarette and placed it in his mouth. Putting the pack down, he shifted his hand over to the metallic lighter. With one motion he flipped the lighter open and started its flame. Putting the flame to the tip of the tobacco, he lit the cigarette and took a deep drag. Tapping the ashes off, the man placed the smoldering cigarette into the ash tray and continued with his reading.

"Owen Rupert Tanisius. Age: 23. Single, with no significant other at this time. He's rumored to be covertly seeing one of the Winner daughters. Owen is an expert swordsman and pilot with numerous certificates of mobile suit expertise. Was a member of OZ and a mobile suit pilot during the First Gundam War. Was wounded at New Edwards and stayed in the hospital for the next four months before being discharged in time for the final battle. His assassin's specialty is up close and personal, favored weapon is a silenced pistol."

Taking another drag of the cigarette, the reader skipped the third file to get to the last two files.

"Jordan Victoria Tanisius. Age: 19. Single but dating a fellow student at the L1 Colony University with a major in biology. Jordan is experienced knife fighter and a member of the university chancellor's esteemed honor roll. Jordan was too young to fight in the First Gundam War but was a family intelligence operative during the Second Gundam War. Her assassin's specialty is the knife."

"Next on the list is Morgan Richard Tanisius. Age: 17. Single, but living at home under the eyes of his parents. Morgan is a high school honor student at the private school within the families' personal colony. Was too young to fight in both Gundam Wars but trained with his older sister Jordan during the second war. His assassin's specialty is bombs. ", came the continued muttering from the smoker.

After he finished with the fifth file, the man turned his attention to the one dossier he skipped and grinned.

Stubbing out the partially smoked cancer stick, he proceeded to read the file on the screen.

"Devon Tanisius. Age: 21. Single. Presently a Preventer Agent on Earth as a member of the Diplomatic Protection Division Sniper Team. Devon is an outstanding student with an abnormally high I.Q. However, he is an unrelenting idiot when it comes to personal relationships. During the First and Second Gundam Wars, Devon was the pilot of the Wildstar Sniper Gundam. Devon's assassin's specialty is the sniper rifle. Even with his semi-poor eyesight, Devon is a master sniper. His favored weapon is the .50 caliber sniper rifle. Hmmm, I trained that boy well; maybe a little too well. He is too efficient at killing and not as efficient at living. With the harsh training he received at the hands of Dr. J, Devon became almost as super human as pilot 01."

As he continued to read the file, a small chime rang throughout the darkened room. Closing out all five files that were on the screen, he activated the program that allowed him to communicate with anyone, anywhere in the ESUN. As he sat and waited, the monitor retracted itself into the desk and five separate screens replaced it. On each screen was a different face. The man straightened up in his chair and nodded at the five men on the screens in front of him.

"Dr. J, Professor G, Dokter S, Instructor H, and Master O; it is so good to see you five again.", stated the sixth man.

The five men acknowledged the words but didn't say anything at first, then the man on the screen on the far left spoke.

"What do you want, Director Z? After the disagreement we had about the Sigma System, the five of us were satisfied if we didn't have to see you again, Director Z." , stated the gravely voice of the one-armed Dr. J.

**__**

"Oh, I'm not worried about that. Since I completed the Sigma System, it has been the least of my worries. Right now I am more worried about the silent threat to the Tanisius Family. It seems that somebody caught a whiff of some classified information about that family of assassins."

"Why should we worry about that family? Everyone knows that during the time before the First Gundam War they were the paid lapdogs of the Alliance.", snapped Instructor H as he fiddled with the pencil in his hand.

Director Z glared at the creator of the Sandrock Gundam. None of those hardheaded scientists had ever realized that he was a member of the extended Tanisius Family. Even when he worked with them, they never knew that he was a fifth cousin and an experienced assassin in his own right. Somewhere in some long forgotten records it was reported that under his true name, Director Z was the fourth most wanted assassin after his two cousins- the Present heads of the Tanisius Family- and the great Odin Lowe; the man who assassinated the original Heero Yuy and started Gundam Pilot 01's training. Calming down a bit, Director Z returned his face to its usual emotionless countenance.

"We have to worry about it, Instructor H, because whoever got that information also found out that the Gundam's were rebuilt. The mole also got information on both the Zero and Sigma Systems.", added the director as he mentally glorified in their expressions of terror.

The five scientists argued for a few seconds before Master O cleared his throat and gave the other man a baleful look.

"You finished the Sigma System? Even after we told you that it was too dangerous? _You Idiot_! Why did you do such a thing?"

"I created and perfected the Sigma System because I knew that the Zero System was not the end all be all in mobile suit operating systems. You five were imbeciles to even think that it would be. Plus somehow your so called research fell into the hands of the wrong people and that warmonger Khushrenada got his hands on the plans for the Zero System and created that monstrosity Epyon."

"That's despicable, Director Z. Probably the only good we know about this Sigma System is the fact that it was never put into any Gundam."

"Guess again, Dokter S. Once I perfected Sigma, I built the Wildstar Gundam. And before you ask, it was operational during the Gundam War. In fact, some of the targets credited to any of the other five suits were actually destroyed by Wildstar."

"If this so called Wildstar Gundam did its part in those horrible battles, why did we not hear of it?", asked Professor G calmly.

Director Z didn't deign to answer and just sent the five scientists edited files on the Wildstar.

The room was quiet after each scientist received a copy of the file for about fifteen minutes. Director Z had been watching their reactions and quietly reveled in the shock he occasionally saw in their faces as they continued. Now he prepared himself for the questions he knew were coming. Doctor J was the first to recover and his question did not disappoint.

"You went on and built this deadly monstrosity even after we had forbidden you to? _What Were You Thinking??", _snapped Dr. J as he slammed the printed out report down on his desk with his one good hand.

"I went ahead and built it because I figured that a Gundam that could hit targets from a distance with One well aimed round would be worth its weight. As it was, we did need it. However, unlike your five moronic pilots, mine did not draw attention to himself like, Yuy, Maxwell, Barton, Winner, and Chang did. Tanisius did his job to the best of his ability with the Wildstar Gundam. Several times he crossed paths with the other pilots at different times during the war. To him the other pilots were good and knew their business, however, he is holding a grudge against your pilot Master O."

"A grudge against Chang, why?"

"Because your idiot of a pupil blew up Lake Victoria Base and damn near killed him as he was setting up his shot on the Lightning Count."

Master O glared at Director Z, but the director ignored it and answered the rest of the questions asked.

Segueing into the main reason he had called them together, Director Z started to explain that a group of former aristocrats and soldiers had broken away from Romefeller and were agitating against the wholly elected government of the Colonies and Earth. Through the agents he had infiltrated into the new group, Director Z had caught a whiff of something big being planned. Unfortunately he did not know what when this first started. As the planning had continued, Director Z had found out that somebody had intercepted a message saying that the Gundam's had been rebuilt and were hidden. The person sending the message had also alluded to the Tanisius Family being the force behind the rebuilt suits although he had no proof of it. The contact receiving the message had replied saying that something was in the works for revenge on the Tanisius Family. At that point, the director had thought it prudent to send a heavily encrypted message to his cousins alerting them to the fact that somebody was targeting them. He had also informed the head of the family that their missing son was safe and nobody knew where he was.

"I also intercepted some other stuff that you should be aware of. It seems that this enemy faction has agents out looking for the five of you. Their orders once they find you are to keep you under surveillance until they can smuggle teams in to kidnap you five. So if I were you, I would triple your security and start setting up personal checkpoints with Preventers and your own security units.", stated Director Z as he finished up.

The five scientists conferred for a moment then agreed Director Z. The informed him that each of them would covertly set up additional security for themselves and get in touch with Commander Une at Preventers Headquarters. Professor G asked Director Z what he planned to do.

"Since I am the unknown scientist, I don't have to worry much. I don't expect my involvement with the five of you and Howard in the Tallgeese and Gundam programs to come out. My involvement was buried too deep. We made sure of that because I didn't want to put my family in any danger."

There was a little bit more discussion about minor points but Director Z didn't participate much more except to add in a comment or to correct figures of the others.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While this conclave of brilliant minds was going on, the pilot of the suit in question was at the Preventors Headquarters going over the deployment plans for his snipers for when the Foreign Minister and her family arrived from their separate honeymoons.

Devon was sitting in one of the executive chairs in one of the conference rooms as he listened as two of his fellow snipers argued about where they were going to set up. Shifting his position so that his duty weapon in its shoulder holster didn't chafe his sides, Devon cast a weak smile as he heard Preventor Eagle snort in amusement. At the far end of the table, Commander Une was calmly sipping a cup of tea but Devon could see that she was starting a slow burn. Sighing in resignation, Devon got out of his seat, gave his holster one last tug to seat it comfortably, and headed over to the 3D model of the shuttle port hovering over the briefing table.

Picking up the laser pointer that Preventor Goddess had thrown down in disgust during the discussion with her spotter-and fellow hockey fan, Preventor Raptor- Devon pushed his way through three of his other team members.

"Okay, since I am a bit tired of this 'discussion' and our esteemed commander down there is about to blow a gasket; I'm going to go ahead and make the assignments. Once I make them, consider them permanent for this detail and there will be no changes. Is that understood?"

Looking around and seeing no dissentions, Devon continued on.

"Alright, first things first; we're going to start with the long distance rifles first. The light fifty is going to be placed on top of the control tower where my spotter and I will have a 360 degree field of fire. That way we will provide cover for everyone else. Silvermouse, you think you'll be ready that early in the morning?", Devon asked the bearded man sitting three seats down from Commander Une.

The young Preventor known as Silvermouse took one look at the map as if to fix it in his mind and nodded.

"No problem Preventor Tabris.", Silvermouse answered in his strong accent.

Devon nodded in agreement then proceeded to continue pointing out the teams and their assignments; pausing only to make a point of let loose and incendiary glare if anyone looked to protest the assignments. (More than once that glare was turned in the direction of Team Three as several times Preventors Raptor and Goddess looked about ready to protest).

At the far end of the table, a much calmer Commander Une quietly finished her tea and placed the now empty cup on the arm of her chair. Crossing her fingers in front of her face, Anne Une leaned slightly forward in her seat. Studying the model and the team assignments with her legendary tactical and strategic mind, Une approved of the way the agent took charge and got everything organized. She also gave him credit for not letting anyone try and dissuade him from changing the assignments once they were issued.

Une had already mentally approved the deployment of the sniper teams once she had seen the rough-draft of the plan on her home computer at seven thirty that morning as she was preparing to accompany her foster daughter to church. She had decided to go ahead and have the meeting for two reasons. One, she had already called for it and didn't want to disillusion her younger agents of her stern 'OZ Colonel Une' persona by canceling. And two: she was observing and testing the younger agent (without his knowledge) for a possible promotion to the Elite Division of Preventor.

Bringing her attention back to the present, Une listened as Preventor Tabris finished up his briefing and waited for her comments. Giving her approval and issuing orders for the snipers to start prepping themselves up for the deployment, Une rose from her seat and swept out of the room. She had a few things to take care of in her office before heading home and spending time with Marimaia.

Devon and the rest of his unit watched as the brown-haired founder and commander of Preventors left. Once Une was gone, Devon turned to his people and spoke a few words.

"Alright, y'all heard the Bosslady. We need to go ahead and start prepping weapons. Eag you and Preventor Snowbird gather up the rifles we're going to use. Inspect them all then do it again. Clean those that need it and repair any problems that crop up. Take Team Three with you. Preventor Sentinel; you and your spotter along with Team Five head for the ammo locker and start inventorying the ammo well need. Make sure we have at least ten clips for each rifle with another two in reserve. Also grab a bunch of ammo boxes and meet up with Teams two and three. They will be taking the rifles to the range for target practice. Everyone will be shooting at least five clips per person. Preventor Ferret; you, your spotter and my spotter are to head over and have a nice little chat with the range director. Tell him that we will be using range two for awhile today for mission practice. Have him upload the Shuttle Port program with our modifications. Once that is done, head over to the range and help the others set up and go ahead and start target practice. Silvermouse, make sure you got that extra padding because that fifty has a helluva recoil. Y'all got it?"

Getting a bunch of affirmative answers, Devon let the teams go to carry out the work that was needed. As the other ten agents filed out, they left Devon and his team assistant leader and the head instructor Preventor Eagle alone studying the model.

"Tell me Devon, while we're doing everything else what are you going to be doing?", asked the older Preventor.

"I have to call the VFM and see what time the shuttle will be arriving. It's supposed to be fairly early to avoid the usual shuttle port crush and to see if we can keep those bloodhounds in the press from learning the time so that they can't interview the arriving couples."

"Are Foreign Minister Yuy and her family arriving on a passenger shuttle? Or are they coming in on the private shuttle?"

"I don't know for sure. I think the plan is for them to come in on one of the Winner Families private shuttles painted to match the livery of a shuttle from a private charter service with ties to the Winners or Catalonia's or a shuttle painted to match one of the many subsidiary passenger liner services loyal to the Winner Corporation."

"Really; and how do you plan to get that information? Weasel it out of our new, and from what I hear very attractive, Vice Foreign Minister during a secluded romantic dinner date?"

Devon cast a baleful glare at the very non-worried fifty year old Preventor Agent and saw the subtle smirk sitting on his face.

"Be careful Eag. Remember, I judge all qualification shoots for the sniper teams and if you don't want me to give you a non-qualifying score on your next team qualification shoot, you'd change the subject. Quickly.", stated Devon with a wicked grin on his face.

"You wouldn't do that would you?"

"Try me."

The two men laughed and left the room after shutting down the projector. Once out the door, they headed in opposite directions to get everything set up for practice and a friendly challenge between them. Twelve minutes after leaving the conference room, Devon entered the office he shared with three of his fellow Preventor Sniper Team Leaders and sat down at his disk. Booting up his computer, Devon refined his operations plan a tad bit. Once that was done, he checked the files on a couple of cases he was working on to see if there had been any recent updates. Seeing no updates within the past couple of weeks, Devon shutout that program and opened up his word processing program and started working on a report that was due later that week. Gathering all the information his informants had sent him and collating it into something his superiors would understand, Devon worked for fifteen minutes when his instant message program alerted him that somebody wanted to speak with him. Opening the screen, Devon's blood chilled as he read the typed words.

-'_We have a problem, Wildstar'_

_-'What is the nature of this problem Director?'_

_-'Somebody has been sniffing around for information regarding your family. They found the information they were looking for and with it a link revealing that the Gundam's were rebuilt and the Zero System was installed'. _

_-'Damn. How did they find that out?'_

_-'I don't know. That isn't the worse of the news. Whoever did it also discovered the existence of the Sigma System and are actively searching for a Gundam with that system installed.'_

_-'Shit, what are we going to do?'_

_-'For now, we do nothing. The people doing the search don't know that I have hacked their systems and am following their progress. If they look to be getting to close to the truth, I'll divert their attention.'_

_-'I see. Anything else you need to tell me?'_

_-'Yes, in a few weeks, your elder sister is getting married and your family has people searching for you to bring you back for the ceremony.'_

_-'Okay. I'll be on the look out for the people my family has searching for me.._

_-'No, I want you to go to that wedding. That way, you're parents will confirm their suspicions that you are alive. Once the wedding is over you can go back to your life of anonymity.'_

_-'Thank you sir. I understand.'_

_-'Your welcome. Be on the look out. I may have some more targets for you to hit. Oh and by the way you'll need to find a date for the wedding. There is a family tradition you will need to participate in and you need a significant other (or a semi-significant other)'_

Devon was stunned as his former controller imparted that tidbit of information. He needed to find a date for a bloody family wedding tradition for a family he hadn't been a part of in years? What the hell was this?

**"_How in the fuck am I going to find a date? I have no girlfriend and my job and past history precludes any kind of relationship with any member of the opposite sex. I have too many ghosts that I don't want to share.", _**_thought __Devon__ as he frantically reread the sentence._

_-'How the hell am I supposed to find a date in such a short time?'-_

-'You'll figure it out in time.. Director Z out.

Devon signed out from the service as he double checked his watch to see if the conversation had broken the five minute rule the director had insisted on for communications between them. He was grateful that it was up from the minute and a half rule they had established between them during the Gundam Wars to keep from being discovered. Checking his watch again, Devon saw that he needed to be heading to the range in a short time. Saving his work and shutting down the computer, Devon placed a call to Vice Foreign Minister Noventa at Noventa Manor.

At Noventa Manor, Sylvia was doing her thrice weekly aerobics workout. Wearing a pair of wristbands and a terry cloth headband to catch her perspiration and one of her many colorful tight fitting full body spandex unitards, Sylvia bounced around to the music coming from the stadium speakers at all four corners of the room. Sometimes she was joined by her grandmother. The elder baroness preferred to use one of the stationary bikes and one of the treadmills. When she had entered the room after church today, Sylvia had run into a couple of female staffers working with the free weights. The two had left shortly after she had started her warm-up. Once she had finished her warm-up, Sylvia shifted to the stationary bike. Then went on to complete the circuit of the equipment in the room before ending up on the mat where she did her aerobics.

Sylvia was in the midst of finishing her routine when the call from Preventor rang through. Bent over as she was, Sylvia didn't actually realize that when she answered the phone, she hit the switch that caused the camera to reposition itself. In this case it repositioned itself and focused in Sylvia's spandex unitard clad curvaceous and firm buttocks. Unfortunately, Sylvia didn't know that the first thing the person on the other end of the line saw was her derriere.

"Umm, Vice Foreign Minister Noventa?"

"Yes. How may I help you?", answered Sylvia as she did some cool down stretches.

On the other end of the line, Devon ran his finger around the collar of his shirt and gulped at the sight of the VFM's ass pointed right at the camera.

"First things first madam; please reposition the camera pickup. Your bottom is an interesting sight but I think we both would prefer it if we were able to see each others face.", stated Devon without stammering.

It took a minute for Sylvia to realize what had been said. When it registered, the 21 year politician repositioned the camera so fast that Devon was impressed and said so. Sylvia wasn't amused at the comment and lambasted Devon with a glare that surpassed anything he had ever had directed his way by a member of the opposite sex.

When the glare didn't have any noticeable effect, Sylvia turned and faced the camera fully then watched as the Preventors' eyes were immediately drawn to her 32C chest. Keeping an outwardly cool expression on her face, Sylvia mentally fumed.

**_"Dammitalltohell!!!! Just because I am cursed with these above average breasts doesn't mean that men can talk to them instead of talking to me! Crap I hate guys who are driven by their hormones!"_**

****

"What do you want Agent Tanisius and could it have waited till tomorrow when I would have been more appropriately attired?", stormed Sylvia as she stalked over to one of the other pieces of equipment and grabbed her robe.

"No, madam. Tomorrow is the reason I am calling. I was ordered by Commander Une to come up with six teams of personnel to cover the arrival of the VIP's. Well I have my teams but I need to know what you plan for the arrival of our VIP's.", said Devon, remembering that the press often had informants with scanners stationed in the nearby vicinity to intercept phone calls to certain politicians.

**_"Although they stopped trying to intercept Foreign Minister Darlians' private calls when one of the more prolific informants had a run in with 01 in a dark alley at night. I wonder if he's out of the physical therapy yet? It's been a long time since that happened.",_**_ mused Devon as he thought back to the regrettable incident that had pilots 02-05 and Zechs Merquise smirking for days anytime the press came near._

Devon cleared his throat and attempted to put the very picturesque sight of the VFM's perfectly shaped rear end in a mental box that said 'Do Not Touch'. Beginning his spiel about needing to know required information, Devon explained what he needed from Sylvia. When he finished his explanation, the Preventor sniper waited.

Sylvia had been nodding as Devon had been explaining what he needed. She knew that Miliardo and Lucrezia and Relena and Heero would want their arrival kept from the press and that meant no large entourages, no Preventors except the smallest detail with higher than Top Secret clearance, and no fanfare to announce their return and the questions that would fly if the press found out and besieged the airport.

In the limousine headed home after church, Sylvia had let Thomas know what she was planning and enlisted his help to put her plan in motion. The aging butler, chauffer, and former Alliance commando had said that he would get in touch with his old friend and former commando training buddy, Pagan to find out the exact time Relena and the others were coming in.

"I have my butler getting together with the butler for the expected personages to find out the exact arrival details. All I know is that they are arriving on a special shuttle. I'll have to get back with you when I hear from my butler.", answered Sylvia.

Devon nodded and gave Sylvia the number to his personal communicator so that once she finds out the needed information; she could call him straight away. Sylvia thanked him and then cut the link. Once she was sure that the camera was off and the line had been cut, Sylvia allowed the robe to fall away. Taking it off and looking at the time, the young woman left the work out room and headed upstairs to her bedroom to take a shower and put on some clothes.

Once in the privacy of her own room, Sylvia entered the bathroom and started the water for her shower. She didn't have any plans to do anything for the evening so she figured that she was going to be bored. Testing the water and finding it just the right temperature, Sylvia slipped off her workout clothes and stepped daintily into the hot rushing water.

Downstairs Baroness Sophia Noventa was in her home office trying to figure out what to do for her granddaughter's birthday. With her knowledge of Sylvia's plan for the Yuy's and the Peacecraft's and their arrival at her home for an informal breakfast tomorrow morning, she had forgotten that Sylvia's twenty-second birthday was a little less than a month away.

**_"What shall I do for her this time? A birthday ball is mandatory and I can't avoid that no matter how much I want to. This year, due to Sylvia's new position as the Vice Foreign Minister for the Earth Sphere United Nation the guest list will have to be enlarged due to all the politicians and titled nobles that expect to be invited. Otherwise they would feel slighted and cause all sorts of political problems for my Noelle. Another problem is her aunt. The birthdates of my daughter and granddaughter are so close together that we usually celebrate them as one in an informal family get together when Cristiana is here to visit. Argh, dammit, I'll deal with that when the time is right. Not now. Now, I have to figure out which of my cooks can keep their mouth shut about our upcoming guests so that I can have only one helper in the kitchen for when I cook.",_**_ thought Sophia as she turned on the television in her office and shifted her attention to what was going on._

Crossing her legs, Sophia Ophelia Noventa, the Eleventh Baroness of the Noventa Barony pondered what to prepare for her informal breakfast tomorrow morning.

At the moment, Baroness Noventa was pondering whether or not to cook her Belgian Waffles or her special secret recipe pancakes, the head of the Winner Family Fortune and his wife were looking at the shuttle that was being towed out from the hangar where it was being painted for its one time mission to retrieve the Foreign Minister, her husband, and the new Sanq Kingdom Royal Couple. To the employees, the couple looked like the picture perfect married couple. To their friends who could tell, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Operating Officer for Winner Enterprises were in the midst of a really wicked argument.

"But dear Dorothy, the grey wasn't needed. You know that Ms. Relena is partial to pink. Not as much as she once was. I just figured that a little bit of toned down pink in her favorite shade would be a good gift for her and Heero. I believe even Ms. Noin would want to see some pink on the shuttle.", stated the soft voiced CEO of Winner Enterprises, Quatre Winner as he dropped his hands in his pockets in exasperation.

"Quatre, I love you a lot but I think your fashion sense still sucks. A little pink? A little pink. Dear, you had the shuttle painted four different shades of pink. _That. Is. Too. Much. Pink!!! _ I had some of the pink removed in spots and painted in with blue or grey. Now it looks better and can still pass as one of the shuttles for the passenger shuttle line. Calm down dear, with this paint job you won't have Zechs chasing after you. More importantly, you won't have Heero gunning for your head. You know how he hates the color pink. The only color he hates more than pink is the color gold.", returned a smug Dorothy as she rolled the stroller back and forth to keep her son calm.

Quatre resigned himself to the fact that the shuttle was going to keep its special paint job for at least this trip. Looking at the tinted windows on the side of the shuttle he sighed before turning attention back to his wife.

Now standing an even six feet tall, Quatre mentally congratulated himself for topping out an inch taller than his five eleven wife. After the wars, Quatre had filled out and was now a solid 210 pounds although he still kept his slim figure from the Gundam Wars. His facial features had lost their baby fat and now a strong confident face with cool blue eyes watched over the yard at the ground crew that was now scampering around the shuttle with alacrity to get it fueled and stocked for its mission and ready for its pilots. Quatre smiled as he caught the silhouette of his still strong-willed wife as she reached down and tickled the giggling baby boy in the stroller. Even after eight months of marriage and one child, to him Dorothy looked like an angel. Her once sharp angular body features softened as the last vestiges of body fat from her pregnancy refused to disappear with the thrice weekly workouts.

Quatre squelched the amorous thought that threatened to rise up as he remembered the workouts. To the young multi-billionaire it seemed that the Chief Operating Officer of Winner Enterprises always knew how to sexually frustrate her husband. Just about every time he was in an important meeting at home or at his office on the top floor of the Winner Building, Dorothy always managed to send him a bootleg video of her working out in the tightest of workout clothes. Sometimes the video came from the workout room in the building and sometimes they come from the home gym at the house. One time, during a very critical Preventors meeting at the L-4 Preventor Headquarters, Dorothy sent Quatre a video of her swimming in the Olympic sized pool at the house in her birthday suit. Needless to say, Quatre cut that meeting short and sped home to be with his wife.

Now standing with her and their child, Quatre couldn't help but feel joy at the excess weight on the third finger of his left hand.

"You know that Hilde and Duo are angling to try and get chosen as the pilots for this shuttle don't you mi amore?", Dorothy's voice intruded on his thoughts.

"Yeah, and I know what will happen if the king and queen of pranks become the pilots of that shuttle. After killing them, Zechs and Heero would hunt me down for allowing it. So no matter what the Maxwell's' do, they aren't getting anywhere near this shuttle till after it lands."

"That leaves only Trowa and Midii and Wufei and Sally.", stated Dorothy as she reached down to pick up her son.

"Trowa and Midii would have been a good choice. However, they are in the midst of a really tough case and can't break off from it. Likewise, Wufei and Sally are busy trying to save their relationship. Ever since Sally caught Wufei lunching with his late wife's sister, the pair of them have been trying to regain trust in each other."

Dorothy thought for a moment. She, like her husband, didn't trust anyone outside of their clique to fly the couple's home without blabbing to the press and causing problems. Lost in thought, the willowy 5'11 blonde didn't hear her 6 foot husband ask her a question.

"Hmm. Oh, what did you say Quatre? I wasn't paying attention."

"I noticed.", replied the former Gundam pilot wryly.

Dorothy cast Quatre a baleful glance and deigned not to rise to the teasing. Her husband would pay for that remark later. Quatre saw the look on Dorothy's face and toned down his teasing. He remembered that look all too well.

"I was just saying that with the absence of Trowa, Midii, Wufei, and Sally. And my absolute refusal to allow Duo and Hilde to pilot the shuttle. That only leaves two people left."

"Who?"

"Think about it dearheart. I know you are smarter than that."

It took a few minutes before Quatre could see the lights going on in his wife's eyes. When it did, Quatre chuckled.

"I think its time that little Jamal went on his first space trip.",

Dorothy brightened up and Quatre felt his heart melt all over again as the happiness she rarely showed for anyone other than their very close friends spill into her eyes. Being very careful of the baby boy in her arms, Dorothy managed to thrown an arm around Quatre and give him the biggest hug and the special kiss he had always gotten since he had first proposed to her.

As the Desert Prince returned the kiss from his Mountain Princess, Quatre let his thoughts wander back to the day he had first decided to have himself and Dorothy pilot the shuttle to meet both Heero and Relena and Zechs and Noin. As he stood there with an arm around Dorothy's waist, Quatre was surprised that the pang of loss he usually felt when he thought about the new Peacecraft, was absent. Shaking his head, Quatre took his wife's hand and together the two headed for the stairs that would lead them to the shuttle. One of the ever present Maguanac Corps soldiers picked up the discarded stroller and folded it up before carrying it in his off hand; keeping his gun hand free just in case his weapon was needed to protect his Master, Mistress, and their child.

The Maguanac Corps were the unofficial and official bodyguards to the Winner Family. There was always five or six around either Master Quatre or Mistress Dorothy at any given time. When the Winners had a formal function to attend, several of the married Maguanac's joined them as an unnoticed security measure. Some of the younger Maguanac's both male and female were Preventor Agents on L-4 and in the desert countries of Earth.

****

Back on Earth, Devon was on the range with his fellow snipers as they practiced just in case their expertise was needed tomorrow morning. At the moment, Devon and his spotter were on the firing line next to Eagle and his spotter. As usual, the practice turned into a good natured competition between whoever was on the line at the moment. So far the impromptu competition had been good for his team as well as the other three full sniper teams. In the sniper team house there was a team scoreboard that showed the results for the teams as a whole and for each individual Preventor sniper assigned at headquarters. Right at the moment, Devon's team led the team rankings and Devon was at the top of the ranking for the top individual sniper. Close behind him was the other team leaders and his assistant team leader, Preventor Eagle.

"Eagle, I thought you were going to teach me a lesson out here?", chuckled Devon as he fired off the last of the clip he had in the rifle he was using.

"You young pup, Devon! Just wait till we get into my specialty, I'll give you a run then Devon. You know that you can never touch me when we shoot open sites.", shot back Eagle as he laughed at the attempt to distract his team leader.

To drive home his point, the older agent cracked off seventeen perfect dead center bulls-eyes. Out of the two ten round clips, Eagle missed dead center three times. The three times he missed, Eagle's rounds hit close enough to the ten-ring to be scored as a bull's-eye. Devon whistled at the score but knew that this time he beat the other agent by one shot. Devon also knew that if both of them had been shooting with a rifle with open sights instead of the scoped rifles they were using, Eag would have outshot him hands down.

Looking at his watch as he cleared his rifle and stepped back from the firing line, Devon brought the practice to an end. He was satisfied with the practice and believed his team as ready as they would ever be for their mission tomorrow. As the weapons were checked, rechecked, and double checked again to make sure that they were empty and safe in preparation for cleaning, casing and returning the weapons to the armory, Devon told them that since they were going for the low profile look to not tip off the press, the team members were to wear repairman coveralls and carry their weapons and spotting scopes disassembled and packed inside of tool boxes until they were at their chosen spots. Once in position, the coveralls were to come off leaving each team in their Preventor issue fatigues. Once finished with that, Devon asked for questions.

"Boss, do you know what time we are supposed to start gathering at the shuttle port?" asked the lone female sniper on Devon's team, Preventor Goddess.

"At the moment, I do not have the information regarding the arrival time of the couples. However I do know it is supposed to be early. Let's just be here around zero five thirty tomorrow morning. By that time I should have the information we need from Vice Foreign Minister Noventa. She is supposed to get in touch with me tonight to pass on that information.", answered Devon as he ignored the snickering coming from his assistant team leader when he mentioned the VFM.

Preventor Goddess nodded as she digested the information and sat back down while readjusting her holstered forty-five caliber duty pistol. When no other questions were offered up, Devon went ahead and dismissed his crew so that they could clean up their weapons, pick up their brass casings, and grab the well used targets down from their holders.

Devon watched as the ten members of his team joked with each other as they walked back to the armory while being careful to not jar their meticulously set up spotting scopes out of their settings. There wouldn't be any time to reset the scopes in the morning. When a hand dropped gently onto his shoulder, Devon half turned until he could recognize the owner of the hand. Seeing that it was Preventor Eagle, he grinned and shook the older agent's hand.

"Hey Eagle. What's up?"

"Not much, just watching the development of this team under your firm guiding hand. You're doing a good job with it. This responsibility suits you."

"Thanks. I appreciate your help in this. I couldn't have done it without your help. You are the true backbone of this team, not me."

"Don't sell yourself short, Tabris. Maybe one day in the future you'll probably be the sniper team representative on the Executive Council of Preventors. That means you'll be working with her Excellency herself, Lady Une. You'd also be our link to the Gundam pilots and the prince."

Devon laughed as he listened to his friends' words as they walked into the building. Once inside the door, the two agents looked at the main room and how all thirty two Headquarters snipers had decorated the entryway and main room where they kept their desks for when they were working on the cases assigned to them. Off to the right, the snipers of team one under the leadership of Preventor Mustang- a six foot, 200lb senior agent- had the desks of their team arrayed in offset patterns facing each other each other.

Next to Team One – or Team Alpha as they were officially known- was the section assigned to the team members of Team Beta under Preventor Firebird; A petite and flirty, yet serious female who had tried to wangle her way into Devon's life on numerous occasions. The desks in that section were set up in the traditional way with two squares of four desks each.

Across from the Beta Team desk area on the other side of the wide walkway were the desks of Gamma Team. Gamma Team was the team where new snipers were assigned to get a taste of what working as a part of a Preventor Sniper team really meant. Used basically as a training unit but able to be assigned a mission, Gamma Team was the team with the youngest members and the least experience. Their Team Leader was Preventor Cobra, an easily excited five foot eleven inch female who hated having her team as the designated reserve for the other three teams. To Devon, it seemed like Cobra had a grudge against the other team leaders whenever their team was picked over hers. She was a very good agent and had spent a few years training would be Preventors at the Preventor Academy at the rebuilt Lake Victoria Base. Unlike the other teams, Gamma Team specialized in winter sniping and was often the first team chosen when Commander Une needed a team for cold weather missions. The desks of Gamma Team were in a two desk sniper/spotter set up in that section.

Across another walkway were the desks of Devon's Delta Team. When he had taken charge of this team, Devon had said that the team desks could be arrayed any way the team members wanted as long as it was conducive to work. As a result the desks for Delta Team often changed location in the area from month to month and occasionally from week to week according to the whims of the team members. As the newest team, Devon had his crew specialize in urban sniping situations. Whereas teams Alpha and Beta specialized in desert and jungle/forest settings and Gamma team operation in cold weather missions, Delta Team was called in when precision sniping around cities and towns were needed.

As Devon and Eagle entered the team area, the pair saw that their team members, Preventors Snowbird, Swordfish, and Ferret were kicking back in the sniper lounge after cleaning, casing, and stowing their rifles and scopes. The trio was joking about a club hopping trip they had taken together on their last off day as they each drank from bottles of water and took bites out of the sandwiches they had grabbed from the communal icebox. Eagle nodded at his spotter-Preventor Snowbird- and asked a few pointed questions about his rifle.

After passing through the team area, Devon and Eagle entered the best decorated room in the building (along with the best kept secret in Headquarters). In this suite of offices were the desks of the assistant team leaders. None of the regular team members were allowed in this area without permission on the pain of major bodily harm. Eagle and the other assistants had four widescreen monitors on the walls, a carpeted floor, and several potted plants scattered around the room. Also scattered around the spacious area (bigger than the semi-cramped large office shared by Devon and the other three team leaders by a good 50 square feet, who said that team leaders got the best offices) were original paintings, posters of rifles and rounds, old targets, a name brand coffee machine-often cursed with Eagle's special blend- an industrial sized refrigerator where Devon knew from personal examination were several big, thick and juicy steaks for sniper team cookouts.

The two men entered Eagle's office where a wood burning stove for use in cold weather sat in the corner along with another wall–mounted monitor. Eagle indicated that Devon should take the comfortable seat while he took a seat in the large office chair behind the huge wooden desk. On the wall behind Eagle's desk was a deactivated and mounted lever action rifle from a time long before. Devon watched as his friend ran a reverent hand over the ancient rifle before he dropped into the soft leather captains' chair and adjusted the picture of his wife sitting in the place of honor next to his computer monitor. Reaching into the small hidden refrigerator built into the desk, Eag grabbed two water bottles and tossed one to his team leader.

"Thanks, Eagle. I really needed one of those.", commented Devon after his took a healthy gulp of water.

"It was no problem; I have another three cases hidden around the office somewhere. Do you have anything planned for tonight?"

"Not at the moment, no. Why do you ask?"

"The missus is throwing a small dinner party and asked me to invite you. She says that one of her single co-workers will be there."

Devon laughed. He knew that Eagle's wife was often the unofficial team mother for his sniper team. It helped that she was a very competitive shooter herself. Before he became team leader, Devon had gone to a shooting match where Eagle's wife had outshot everyone there-including Eagle himself-much to the other agents chagrin.

Devon graciously declined the invitation and asked Eag to pass along his thanks for the invitation to his wife and promised that he would go next time she threw a dinner party. The two men chatted for a bit before Devon excused himself so he could clean his rifle and head for home to get some rest in preparation for the next day. With another round of teasing, Devon left Eagle's office and headed the armory to clean and stow the fifty he was going to be using tomorrow.

At six o'clock, Devon finished up work he had been doing on one of his cases since he had finished his rifle cleaning a couple of hours earlier. Closing up the computer file and shutting down his computer, Devon cleaned up the office, grabbed his jacket, and headed out to his jeep. Downstairs, the young agent waved to some of his team members still working on their separate cases and reminded them to close up early so they could get some rest. With one last wave, Preventor Tabris; Leader, Sniper Team Delta, adjusted his glasses and left the building.

While her middle brother was leaving work to get some rest so he could be ready for the next day's mission; twenty-five year old Adrienne Nicole Tanisius and her nineteen year old sister, Jordan Victoria Tanisius were sitting at an outdoor café on the L-1 Colony enjoying a rare family moment between the two of them. Adrienne had finally ditched her semi-grabby fiancée to make this trip to visit her sister. Wearing a dark green business suit, Adrianne ran a perfectly manicured hand through her shoulder length brown hair and adjusted her sunglasses. With her legs crossed, she gave the impression of a very successful business owner instead of one of the top chemical assassins in the Earth Sphere. An expert archer, Adrianne had brought one of her favorite bows with her to grab some practice while hanging out with her sister. With light toffee colored skin, Adrienne was lighter than the younger woman sitting across the table from her.

Nineteen year old Jordan Victoria Tanisius was a study in contrast to her older sister. Caramel skin glinted in the midday colony sunlight as she wolfed down her cheeseburger. In comparison, Jordan was warm and outgoing and fun-loving where Adrianne was cool and aloof until you got to know her real well. Wearing low-rise, hip hugging fashion jeans and a tight sea-green spaghetti strap tank top with a pair of white generic tennis shoes, Jordan exuded sensuality, a fact that her boyfriend was well aware of when they went out on dates around the colony.

Jordan looked at her elder sister as she grabbed a napkin to wipe some mayonnaise from the corner of the unadorned lips that stuck out from her heart shaped face and asked where their brothers were.

"Well Morgan is probably still studying with that slut of a girlfriend of his for their finals before graduation. Owen is on L-4 running the family business interests and hanging out with Fatima Winner. I have a feeling that this one is the one for Owen. She doesn't take any of the crap that the groupies on our home colony took while he was in school. Plus, she's pretty wicked with a knife. Fatima could probably be a match for you.", came the husky tone from Adrienne as she took another bite from her salad and followed it with a ladylike sip from her iced tea.

Jordan grimaced at the image. She knew her elder sister as being more than willing to guzzle a few sodas with her sorority sisters and family. She figured that Adrienne was trying to cut back on some of her more favorite things. Taking another gulp from her drink, Jordan prepared herself to ask about their missing brother. She knew that her sister did not like to talk about Devon that much, since she blamed herself for letting their middle brother get kidnapped when he was five years old.

"Anything new on the whereabouts of Devon? I know you have people out trying to find him so he can make it for your wedding in June. In fact some of your so called experts buttonholed me asking questions about Devon not to long ago. I took a little bit of offense at their line of questioning and sliced one of them for his rudeness.", asked Jordan.

"Not at the moment, Victoria. However I have some of my people following a trail of recent assassinations that points directly at Devon. Unfortunately they don't have anything concrete except for the fact that one of the victims was hit by a large caliber rifle bullet.", answered Adrienne as she referred to her sister by the middle name she knew Jordan abhorred.

"Yeah, everyone in the family knows that Devon is or was the rifleman for the family. Sniping would fit him to a 'T'. ", returned Jordan while glaring at her sister for using her hated middle name.

Adrienne went back to her salad as she thought back to when her parents had told her to back off her search for Devon. They informed her that Devon knew about the wedding and might make an appearance. When she had tried to ask them how they knew the information her parents- Leopold and Brianna Tanisius- refused to answer and ordered her to drop it for the good of the family. Publicly she did drop the subject but Adrienne kept up the search in private, using her own funds to fund the search when her mother found out and had the bank throw a hold on Adrienne's family account.

**_"Dammit, what are my parents hiding? What do they know? How did they get whatever information they have? And why do they want me to halt my search for the good of the family? This is so frustrating for me. Why won't they believe that I want to know where my brother is because I miss him and want to see how he survived the wars.", _** _thought Adrienne angrily as she speared the last piece of lettuce with her fork and transferred it to her mouth. _

Jordan looked worriedly at her sister as she mechanically at the last piece of meal. Something was bothering the woman and Jordan wanted to know what it was. Shifting to relieve the pressure of the small .380 pistol that she carried on her person at all times when she was away from campus (she had a forty-five for her protection on campus) , Jordan turned her attention to the television screen on the wall. Checking her jeweled watch (it was a high school graduation gift from her father. While the .380 she carried was a gift from her mother), Jordan saw that it was time for the news. Ever since she had heard about the shooting competition on Earth, Jordan had wanted to know who had won the women's competition. The night of competitions, she had fallen asleep on the couch of her dorm room while waiting for the results. Her roommate had woken Jordan up three hours after the results had been shown on the news, much to Jordan's dismay. It had been excruciating for Jordan to have to wait to find out the results. The dormitory RA had thrown a fit when her least problematic tenant had paced up and down the hall waiting for the news. She had been relieved when Jordan's elder sister had arrived to take the impatient girl to lunch.

Adrienne hid a smile as a part of her mind studied her sister as she waited for the news. This shooting match was something that Jordan had been waiting for as her letters home had increasingly pointed out the closer the date for the match had came. Adrienne knew that Jordan had almost shot her professors when she found out that they scheduled her finals to coincide with the week of the match. Since Jordan-like all the Tanisius children- had an extremely high I.Q., Adrienne knew that studying for the exams would push Jordan to the brink of exhaustion, especially when all of Jordan's classes were doctoral level classes.

The elder Tanisius daughter had just shifted her attention to a man dressed in black with a 3 meter long braid and his partner strolling by outside when she heard her sister mutter to herself.

"Oh man!! That Preventor Agent is fine with a capital 'F'."

Knowing Jordan's predilection for spotting extremely good looking men with nice attitudes (Jordan had spotted Adrienne's fiancée three years previous at a colony barbeque before the two had even started dating), Adrienne turned to see who she was talking about. Shifting her attention to the screen and studying the man passing through the camera's view, Adrienne nodded in agreement. Then something registered in her subconscious about the way the man held himself and the straw clamped between her pink painted lips dropped. She knew who that was disappearing out of camera view.

"_Shit!!!! What the hell!!", _exclaimed Adrienne as she rose from her seat.

Jordan now mortified at her sister's actions turned to the elder Tanisius to cuss her out for her interruption. She fell silent as Adrienne rummaged through her purse-where she carried a pair of .380 pistols that matched Jordan's- and hurriedly threw some money down on the table to pay for their meals.

_"Adrienne, what the hell is wrong with you?"_, snapped Jordan as she rose to her feet.

_"Not now __Jordan__. I have to get in touch with mom and dad.",_ returned Adrienne as she started for the door.

_"Dammit Addy!! Will You Tell Me What Is Going On?",_ yelled Jordan as she started to follow her big sister.

_"Jordan Victoria Tanisius, When I Say, 'Not Now'! I Mean 'Not Fucking Now'!", _said Adrienne in the ice cold voice that Jordan knew all to well.

"I understand elder sister.", Jordan replied meekly.

Outside the café Jordan watched as Adrienne grabbed her personal communicator while waiting for the valet to bring her rented car around. When the valet returned with the sporty sedan (their parents had instilled within the Tanisius children the need for a speedy getaway vehicle that didn't look speedy), Adrienne gave the man a big tip and hurriedly climbed into the car. Jordan had just closed her door when her sister, threw the car in gear, let off the clutch and peeled out from the parking lot. As she struggled to buckle her seat belt, Jordan inadvertently ran a hand over the primitive tattoo of a cheetah that had been scribed into her flesh when she was younger. She also knew that each of her brothers, her sister, and her numerous cousins from both sides of the family had a tattoo in the same place.

**_"Adrienne has the tattoo of a tigress over her chest. Owen has a leopard and Morgan has a mountain lion. On my chest in the same place as my sister and brothers, I have a king cheetah. What does _****_Devon_****_ have? It's been so long since I last saw the family book. I know that dad has a lion while mom has a lioness as are tradition for the heads of the family.",_**_ mused __Jordan__ as Adrienne sped through the gates of the college __Jordan__ was attending. _

Over in the driver's seat, Adrienne's thoughts were going a mile a minute. First was the happiness that she had found her missing brother after sixteen years of looking. Second was that she was relieved that he was alive, and looking well (she took that from Jordan's exclamation of his fineness), third she wondered what he was doing on Earth as a Preventors Agent, and fourth, Adrienne wondered if there were any women in Devon's life. That last thought filled her with a double sense of dread and rage. She wondered what she would do and how she would handle it if there was a woman in her younger brother's life.

**_"If she knew what kind of family _****_Devon_****_ came from would she be scared of us or would she hate us for what we did. Would she stay my brother's hand if she knew that he had to kill on occasion? What is she like, is she a pacifist like Foreign Minister Peacecraft-Yuy or is she a warmonger like Catalonia-Winner was?",_**_ ran the thoughts in Adrienne's head. _

"First things first, I have to call mom and dad and let them know about this.", muttered Adrienne.

Jordan heard the words her sister spoke and was confused as to what the first words out of Adrienne's mouth since they had left the café could mean. Deciding to take the bull by the horns and ask away, Jordan was taking a breath to ask when Adrienne beat her to it.

"I bet you are wondering why I am reacting like this aren't you?", asked Adrienne as she yanked the parking brake handle and professionally spun the wheel to the right while pressing down on the accelerator.

"You're damn right I am! First, you embarrass the hell out of me at my favorite café. Second you chastise me as if I was still three years old and have just spilt something on your favorite dress. Third, you go hauling ass through town, blowing past the security guard at the university gate, and perform the most dangerous cornering job I have ever seen you do. What the hell is your problem, Nicole and what do you have to call mom and dad about? Tell me that Nicole!", swore Jordan as she used the middle name that she knew Adrienne despised.

**_"Aww, why didn't I get her middle name and she get mine! I would have loved to have Nicole or Nicola as my middle name. Yet I get _****_Victoria_****_? Do I look like a '_****_Victoria_****_'?'_**_ ran the poisonous thoughts in __Jordan__'s mind as Adrienne slid the car to a stop fitting perfectly into the marked parking space._

Once the car had been shut down, Jordan and Adrienne climbed out of the car and headed for the entrance to the dormitory. Entering the residence hall, the two Tanisius women eschewed the elevator to climb the stairs to the fifth floor apartment like dormitory room that Jordan shared with her roommate and two other women. At the moment, only Jordan's roommate Nachelle and her boyfriend Justin were busy on the couch. Adrienne caught a glimpse of flesh on flesh before Jordan told the couple to get lost. The blonde haired brown-eyed Nachelle started to protest but caught the warning flashing in Jordan's hazel eyes.

Once Nachelle and her boyfriend had scrambled into some clothes and quickly disappeared, Jordan kicked off her shoes and indicated for her sister to do the same. Glaring at the elder daughter, Jordan waited for the twenty-five year old woman to start. Adrienne saw this and sighed. She knew that Jordan was going to be mortified for ogling her own brother.

"Jordan, I know you want an explanation but can it wait till after I get in touch with our parents?", asked Adrienne as she massaged her stockinged feet.

"No. I want to know, and I want to know now. Adrienne."

"Great. I knew you were going to say that."

"I deserve and demand an explanation, Nicole."

Adrienne winced at her hated middle name. Deciding to just go with the flow, she began to explain.

"First of all, you have a boyfriend so that Preventor Agent would be off limits."

"Yeah yeah. You can't keep a girl for drooling over him can't you?"

Adrienne shot her sister a long suffering pointed look before continuing her story.

"Secondly, even if you had tried to date that agent, mom and dad would have a fit. You didn't recognize that agent, I take it? Of course not, you and Morgan were three years old and one year old respectively last time you saw him."

Jordan just shrugged her shoulders and beckoned for Adrienne to finish up. Adrienne glared at her sister as she realized that Jordan didn't get the point. Sighing in resignation, the elder sister continued her story.

"That Preventor Agent was our brother Devon, imbecile!"

Adrienne saw the look of amazement that came over her sister and sighed again. Looking around and spotting the vidphone, the elder Tanisius daughter got off the couch and regally strode over to the device to make her call. Picking up the handset, Adrienne dialed the number her parents preferred for their children to use when calling. At the Tanisius house, the phone rang with the particular tone reserved for when Jordan called home.

On the other end of the line, a tall, elegantly dressed woman answered the phone. Brianna Etienne Tanisius activated the phone screen expecting to see the smiling face of her youngest daughter. When she saw that it was her eldest child, the Tanisius Matriarch concealed the slight shock that sped across her face with a warm smile.

At 52 years of age, Brianna Etienne Tanisius was still the lithe five foot ten beauty she was when she met a caped and cloaked fellow assassin at a formal ball her target was supposed to be attending. Unfortunately, every thing had gone to hell in a hand basket and Brianna was on the verge of being killed when the assassin, one Leopold Tanisius, saved her by killing the men after her and taking out his target. Brushing a few strands of her grey and brown hair behind her ear, Brianna studied Adrienne for a moment before speaking.

"Hello, Adrienne. I did not know that you were on Colony L-1 visiting Jordan. Your fiancée is driving your father crazy over your whereabouts. Do you want me to retrieve him so you two can speak?, Brianna asked in her honey cultured voice that Adrienne knew could turn to ice and crack like a whip when needed.

"No mother, my fiancée can wait but I would like it if father could join this conversation. I think I may have found Devon.", answered Adrienne.

Brianna quirked an eyebrow at her daughter's statement and tapped a well manicured fingernail on the side of the monitor. Seeing the seriousness in Adrienne's dark brown eyes, she pressed the button paged her husband to the phone. Within minutes the face of Leopold Tanisius joined the conversation.

"Thank goodness for calling me away, Bri-baby. Adrienne's fiancée was beginning to get on my nerves with his worrying. What is it that Jordan wants?", said Leopold Tanisius in his velvet baritone voice.

"Hon, it isn't Jordan calling. It's Adrienne calling from Jordan's dorm room. She wanted to talk to both of us."

"I see. Hello Adrienne."

"Hello father, how are you doing and leave my fiancée alone."

The image of the head of the Tanisius family grunted before answering that he was fine. Then he asked what Adrienne wanted to talk about. Adrienne studied her parents for a minute before talking.

"Father, mother I have reason to believe that my brother Devon is a Preventor Agent on Earth."

Adrienne looked for reactions from her parents. When she saw none her suspicions about her parents knowing more than they said were confirmed.

**_"Ah ha! So they did know where he was and what he was doing. Either they found a way to get in touch with him or someone who knows _****_Devon_****_'s family got in touch with them and informed mom and dad about Devon.",_**_ thought Adrienne as she watched her parents closely. _

"Oh really, and what made you come to that realization, dear?", asked Brianna as she opened an envelope on the nearby light stand.

"The news showed clips from that shooting competition yesterday. Jordan and I happened to see a clip and I recognized him as he walked across the camera's view. I was just calling to see if you wanted to know where he is. After I leave L-1, I plan on catching a shuttle to Earth to visit my brother."

Brianna and Leopold looked at each other with the barest of concerned looks. With a subtle nod, a silent message passed between the heads of the Tanisius Clan. Adrienne missed it because she was checking her watch.

"Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, Adrienne. We know that if we did forbid you from going, you would find a way to go anyway. Go ahead and make your plans. I'll call the grounds-keepers at the family home and have them prepare it for your arrival. They will also have the family mechanic come out and look at all the cars. I presume that you will want to use the limousine just in case you have to attend a formal gathering.", stated the stentorian voice of 56 year old head of the family-Leopold Tanisius.

"Thank you father, I appreciate that. Will the mechanic take the bikes in as well? Last time I was there, my fiancée couldn't get the silver Ducati to work."

"Yes, he will. In fact I'll tell him to have the bikes checked out first. By the way, while you are on Earth, I need you to check in on our Earth-side Headquarters. I've been hearing stories that the Board of Directors are not being as truthful as they say. Once you've found out what is going on with the business, I leave it in your hands to correct the problem."

Adrienne flushed; she knew what her father had just maneuvered her into. Her father had just successfully burdened her with a job to distract her from her chosen mission. Trying to find a way to get out of the extra work, Adrienne's brown eyes flashed dangerously. Gritting her teeth, Adrienne accepted that her time on Earth was going to be filled with extraneous stuff that she didn't need nor want to do.

**_"Dammit, I should have followed my instincts and gone to Earth before informing mom and dad about my plans. At least then, there would have been no chance for them to dump all this work on me. Hang it all!!', _**_fumed Adrienne while her parents and sister looked on. _

On the couch behind her sister, Jordan did some leg stretches to loosen her legs. She had an intercollegiate volleyball game later that afternoon and didn't want to risk the possibility of an injury. Once she finished stretching her legs, she stood up and went over to the phone and stood behind her sister as the conversation shifted into other family matters that at the moment she didn't have to worry about. Finally after saying a few words to her parents and accepting their blessing, Jordan stepped back and let Adrienne cut the video connection and hang up the handset.

"Everything alright, Adrienne?", asked Jordan as her sister flounced away from the phone and into the small, warm, and friendly kitchen.

"Yeah, so far everything is alright. I think our parents are sandbagging me about their knowledge dealing with the whereabouts of our brother. I really hate it when they do that.", answered Adrienne as she fixed a cup of orange juice.

"So what do you plan to do?"

"I'm going to call the shuttle port and book a seat on the first shuttle leaving in the morning. Then I am going to the game and watch y'all whip the crap out of the University of Colony L-4 volleyball team. After the game, I'm taking the team out to celebrate and we're going to get completely shit-faced!! First of all, I'm, going to change out of this dammed suit and put on something comfortable!"

Jordan broke into a wide grin and headed for her room to change into her team's warm-up set for trip across campus. Adrienne chuckled as her sister left the room giggling like the little girl she knew so long ago. Finishing her orange juice with a wry smile, Adrienne rinsed the glass out in the sink, placed it on the dish rack, and headed for the guest bedroom to change into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.

On Colony L-4, twenty-three year old Fatima Dinarzade Winner watched as the multicolored shuttle carrying her brother, sister-in-law, and youngest nephew lifted off the lengthy runway and headed for the cavernous doors that opened out into the departing ship and shuttle bay. As the red and green lights on the wingtips got smaller and smaller till they disappeared, Fatima knuckled a tear from her eyes. Ever since Quatre had taken formal control of Winner Enterprises as Chief Executive Officer, Fatima had been overjoyed. It meant that she could step down to the position of Vice President of Financial Affairs, the position she had been trained for from the time she entered the private high school she attended to the time she graduated from an exclusive university two years previous.

At five foot seven inches tall and weighing in at a very petite hundred and thirty pounds, Fatima turned numerous heads with her light grey eyes and cornstarch blonde hair. When she was sixteen years old, Fatima had her coming out debutante's ball. Escorted by her father two months before he died, she had turned completely against the Alliance, Romafeller Foundation, and the burgeoning OZ after hearing some of the officers' wives in the ladies room talk about some of the most disturbing subjects she had ever heard. It was at that moment she vowed that she never allow herself to be turned into one of the social climbing, painted peacocks attending the ball like the ones gossiping outside the stall door. She only had one thing to be thankful to those unknown gossiping ageing women. They had turned her on to her present boyfriend and possible future husband, Owen Rupert Tanisius.

It had been at the end of the ball as she stood with the other debutantes when she had met some of the young and single mobile suit pilots. She had been standing near some of the other girls and shaking her head at the brainlessness and air headed girls babbling about the officers. Fatima figured that they were going to end up as Alliance, Romafeller, or Oz whores if they hadn't already started (some already had from what Fatima had gathered from listening in on several conversations among her fellow debutantes). Bored with listening to the annoying conversation, Fatima had gone out onto the balcony. Seeing that, at the time, she was alone; she had rubbed her shoulders and looked out at the semi-darkened little coastal town around the Winner Family estates on Earth. Lost in thought, Fatima hadn't heard the soft footsteps approach her position. Fatima had realized she was no longer alone when she suddenly felt a jacket dropped over her shoulders. Whirling around, Fatima had found herself confronted by a pair of dark brown eyes that captivated and entranced her.

"Are you sure that you are alright out here by yourself? It is a bit chilly for this time of year." came the huskily bedroom voice of OZ Specials Lieutenant Owen Rupert Tanisius.

From the moment she heard that voice, Fatima had fallen truly, madly, and deeply in love with the dark skinned man. It seemed that her feelings were reciprocated until she found out that he was an OZ mobile suit pilot. The spent the rest of the evening discussing their different philosophies on the war. After the ball, the two had occasionally corresponded by mail. She found out that he had been wounded during the New Edwards Base attack when a single well aimed shot had disabled his personally modified Leo suit and another had exploded a fuel tank as the slightly wounded Owen had been climbing down from his terminally damaged battle conveyance.

Fatima had started seriously dating Owen after the Marimaia Crisis of 196. By then the pair had agreed to keep a low profile relationship because her elder sisters (except for Iria) had wanted their brother to be married and the Winner Legacy secure before allowing the youngest Winner daughter to even date. Iria had supported her in keeping the relationship between her sister and the second eldest Tanisius a secret, even going as far as to cover for Fatima when she need someone to run interference while she enjoyed some private time with her boyfriend (it worked well because Iria had often times needed Fatima to cover for her when she wanted to spend time with her significant other, Rashid, the head of the Maguanac Corps and their two children).

Turning away from the departure gate of the shuttle port, Fatima started walking back to the chauffeured luxury sedan that she, her brother, sister-in-law, and nephew had ridden in earlier that morning. Ignoring the ever present family bodyguard, Fatima returned her thoughts to the man she had left in her suite of rooms at the Winner Estate. Last night, Iria and Rashid had snuck Fatima's boyfriend into her suite of rooms as a surprise to help Fatima rest up from the grueling week of business meetings and dealing with the finances of the family business. Earlier in the week, Iria as the family physician had cautioned Fatima about the stress inherent to her job as Vice President of Financial Affairs for the Winner Corporation. Dealing with older men and women who believed that Fatima had no business doing the job she presently did, gave Fatima awful headaches and she had complained on more than one occasion about the moronic department heads under her and the headaches they caused. Iria had taken one look at Fatima's daily schedule and proceeded to remonstrate Fatima's secretary for filling up her schedule with a lot of nonsensical meetings and not setting a time for Fatima to relax between the more important meetings.

Climbing into the back seat, Fatima leaned back and allowed her head to hit the head rest and her eyes to close. She couldn't wait to arrive back home and retire to her rooms for some quality time with boyfriend.

**_ "First thing I am going to do is get out of these jeans and take a relaxing bath. Then I am going to dismiss the servants, unplug the phone, and spend the rest of the time watching movies with Owen and a big bowl of popcorn. Afterwards, well, whose to say he doesn't stay for breakfast?",_**_ mused __Fatima__ as she remembered her surprise and the bedroom Olympics that accompanied them. _

Alas, Fatima's plans for the evening were to be derailed. Halfway home, the private car phone rang once, startling Fatima out of the light doze she had settled in. Shaking her head in annoyance Fatima answered the call without opening her eyes.

"This better be good. I was in the midst of a good day dream.", snapped Fatima.

"Ah, Fatima; liefie? There is somebody here who wants to speak with you.", came the voice of her beloved.

Fatima's eyes shot open as she recognized the mellow tones of Owen and her insides melted as she heard his favorite term of endearment for her in one of his native languages. However, her immediate meltdown was halted as she heard the tone of his voice. Focusing her attention on the two figures standing behind her half-dressed bedmate, Fatima groaned.

Standing behind Owen to the right was her elder sister, Dr. Iria Winner. With the trademark family blonde hair done up in a simple ponytail, Iria looked sheepish and a bit exhausted. Still attired in her white lab coat, sneakers, and surgical scrubs, Iria shuffled from one foot to the other. Fatima got the sudden feeling that something wasn't exactly right, Iria never looked this sheepish. Shifting her glance to the other blonde woman, Fatima felt her insides flip in nervousness and groaned again.

"Hello elder sister Scheherazade, how are you doing? What can I do for you today?", asked Fatima of her eldest sister.

At nearly forty years of age, Scheherazade Winner-Starion still had the commanding presence that Fatima remembered from the last time the first Winner daughter visited. At the wedding reception for Quatre and Dorothy, Scheherazade had made it known that although she was happy that Quatre had finally married, she didn't actually approve of Dorothy Catalonia as the perfect match for the Winner Family heir. The new Mrs. Winner had politely informed her new sister-in-law what she could do with the approval then promptly informed her new groom to take her to the hospital because her water had just broken.

As Dorothy, Quatre, and some of their friends had left for the hospital, Fatima had managed to wangle a few dances with her boyfriend only to run right smack dab into the disapproving light blue eyes of Scheherazade. That time there were no words, just a slight reproachful look and a disapproving shake of the head.

Now as she sat in the moving vehicle look at those same light blue eyes, Fatima correctly guessed that this time she was in for a lecture.

Scheherazade Winner-Starion sniffed as she shifted her glance from her sister to the dark skinned man sitting in the seat next to her and back. Recognizing the tattoo on his chest as a family and tribal marking, she wondered how her sister could get involved with such a man. She had come home to the family holdings because she had wanted to be close to her sisters while Quatre and Dorothy were gone.

As the Assistant Chief Executive Officer for the Winner Corporation and as the President of the Earth-side officers, Scheherazade- or Schezy as the others called her- was a force to be reckoned with. Standing no taller than five foot six inches tall but possessed of a very voluptuous figure, Schezy had her many admirers before she married. She still had them but was very faithful to her husband and seven children. Called 'The Iron Bitch' or 'The Cobra Queen' behind her back, Schezy completely obliterated the stereotypes of women in the business place and took the business world by force of nature. Totally honest, Scheherazade refused those who preferred to make shady deals and stomped them beneath her delicate size seven foot in its twenty-thousand dollar pair of two inch heels.

Away from Winner Enterprises, Scheherazade was the consummate faithful wife and mother. She loved a good practical joke as well as the next person and chose to relax from work with a strenuous ride on her prize winning Arabian stallions. Schezy also loved to cuddle up with her husband on the large couch in the family home and watch old movies on the widescreen television in their game room.

At the present time, Fatima saw that the fun-loving, cry at the ending of a sappy romance novel side was nowhere in sight. Instead, Fatima was faced with the woman who had several Doctoral Degrees in the Business world, an I.Q. much higher than the official genius level, mistress of several martial arts styles, and the second in charge of the entire Winner Corporation.

"Fatima Dinarzade Winner, I came home hoping to relax with my family for the week. As I enter the family wing of the estate, I notice that several of our family pets have migrated to the door of your room. They were making such a racket that I had Rashid and Auda take them outside. As Rashid was leaving, he kept glancing at the door to your room in such a manner that suggested you were there. I figure that you are sick and enter the room. When I enter the sitting area of your suite of rooms, I hear the water from your shower and wonder what is going on. Upon entering the bedroom, I find a plethora of rose petals scattered around along with some scented candles. Deciding to use your shower for a bit, I enter your bathroom and run into this gentleman in a state of undress. Since I did not know who he was, I did the first thing that occurred to me.", stated Scheherazade as she crossed her arms.

"She punched me then stood on me as she screamed for help. It took Iria a good twenty minutes to calm her down and explain what was going on.", cut in Owen as he ducked a lighting quick punch that would have knocked him out and left him unconscious.

Fatima shook her head in resignation. This evening was going to be a long one. Looking out the window, the youngest Winner daughter saw that they were entering the Estate proper and she would soon be able to sort this out face to face with her eldest sister.

"Schezy, my car is pulling into the driveway now. Can we talk about this face to face a little later? I am a bit peaked.", sighed Fatima.

"Of course, Fatima we can talk about this. We will be waiting in my suite of rooms for you to show up. I greatly anticipate your explanation.

Fatima groaned as the connection was cut. Her evening of passion and relaxation had just been cancelled.

Back on L-2, a man and a woman were looking at a small four person shuttle. The pair had bought the shuttle at the Preventor Auction of an indicted and convicted crime lord. What had began as a simple project in their off time had spiraled out of control into a personal labor of love for the two of them as they rebuilt it into their own special kind of shuttle.

Duo Maxwell grinned at the hand-painted blue and grey flame design over the shiny black paint job he had contracted out to some of his fellow Sweepers for a discount on a repair job and future business sent his way. It had taken the friend and business associate of the former pilot of the Gundam Deathscythe several weeks to come up with the ideal paint scheme for the self proclaimed 'God of Death' after the shuttle had been completed.

Running a hand over the smooth skin of the shuttle, he marveled as he remembered some of the 'special' modifications that his wife-the former Ms. Hilde Scheibaker- and himself had added. Remembering Hilde, Duo turned his head to where Hilde sat repairing one of the custom seat covers for the two pilot's chairs. With her pixie cut bluish-purplish hair, Hilde Maxwell reminded her husband of the tomboyishly cute former mobile suit pilot Duo remembered from the first Gundam War.

Turning his attention back to the problem at hand, Duo wondered how they were going to make it into the main Brussels, Belgium shuttle port to meet their best friends when they returned from their honeymoon.

"Duo, I'm just about finished here. Did you do a last preflight check and file our flight plan?", asked Hilde as she looked up from her repair work.

"Yeah, babe I did. Did you think I would forget those things?", joked Duo as he bent down to close the luggage compartment.

Hilde rolled her eyes in exasperation. Her husband-dashingly cute as he was- was prone to the occasional bout of forgetfulness when it came down to their frequent shuttle trips. Deciding to check everything herself, she sighed and tied off the last stitch for the custom designed seat covers she had come up with to finish their little runabout. She remembered all to well what had happened to the previous covers. Once again her husband had really pissed off his best friend and Heero had unloaded three quarters of a clip from one of his handguns while trying to maim Duo for some off color remark. It had taken Hilde, Relena, and a hefty monkey wrench to stop that little incident.

Climbing into the well fitted out runabout, Hilde headed for the flight deck to start up the auxiliary power units. Passing the doors to the two small staterooms, the galley (with the bar Duo had begged two whole weeks for her to allow), and the small passenger area; Hilde entered the cockpit and placed the two seat covers on their respective seats. Looking around, the twenty-two year old Mrs. Maxwell nodded in appreciation as she saw that her husband had actually got something done and done right by repairing the bullet holes Heero's forty-five had made. Sitting in the co-pilots seat, Hilde placed the communications headset on her head and opened up the cockpit to ground intercom. Hearing Duo's voice asking if the communications was up, she gave him the thumbs up and nodded.

"Copy that Hilde, the communications system is all green. Go ahead and start the number one engine, babe. I wanna give it a quick check out. Run the control wheel through its full range of motion."

"Alright sexy, I'll do that. While you are doing that you want me to give Trowa and Midii a call and let them know we'll be there in a few hours? Trowa had expressed an interest in being there for Heero and Relena?", ask Hilde as she pressed the necessary buttons to bring the number one engine to life.

"Yeah, go ahead. Last video call I received from him Trowa told me that all of their leads hadn't turned up anything and the case was growing cold. He also said that if they hadn't had a major break by the time Heero and Relena were scheduled to return from their honeymoon, he and Midii were going to step back from the case for a bit. Personally, I think his sister wanted the two of them to perform for the circuses anniversary. Ever since Cathy had retired at the end of the last season to raise her family, Midii and Trowa have been doing the knife throwing act whenever they could. While we're on Earth, I'll assign some of the Preventers here to start looking for leads in that case.", replied a somewhat distracted Duo.

Hilde answered as she continued to bring the various systems to life.

Like Quatre and Dorothy; Duo and Hilde were the heads of the Preventors on Colony L-2 in addition to their scrapyard business. Duo was a member of the Preventors Command Staff and always carried his Preventors badge every time they left the colony. Hilde carried hers as well but not openly. Hilde, like Midii Une, was more of a computers expert. Even though neither of them would ever match Heero, Hilde Scheibaker-Maxwell and Midii Une were at the top of the Preventors in their department. However, unlike Midii, Hilde didn't do as much field work unless she was with the Foreign Minister.

Fifteen minutes later, the shuttle named _Silent Death _was barreling down the runway and heading for the airlock on the first leg of its trip to Earth.

Colony L-4

Twenty-two year old Trowa Barton-also known as Triton Bloom- was frustrated. Here he was in his office at the L-4 Colony Preventors building and he couldn't figure out what was going on with this case. Getting out of his chair, Trowa stretched and allowed his long, lanky six foot four inch frame to relax a bit.

"**_Okay, what the hell have we missed? I've had my Preventors running down every lead we have and squeezing the life out of our confidential informants. With the bribes we've been using to get any little scrap of info, I'm surprised we haven't heard anything more. Soon, I'll have to have investigators and detectives cut back on the amount we've been paying on CI's. Its' a good thing that Lady Une set aside part of her own private finances to help pay informants. Even with her not on speaking terms with her aristocratic father and mother, they still send her a stipend every month. And that is in addition to the riches she inherited from Treize Khushrenada after his death."_**_, Thought Trowa as he stared out the panoramic window of his office. _

A slight stirring in his abdomen started as he thought about his one time lover. After the first and second Gundam Wars, Trowa Barton and Lady Une had an on and off relationship that gave every indication of leading to a marriage between them. However, with her adoption of Treize's daughter, the affair had started to fizzle. Things had gotten colder with the unexpected reunion between Trowa and Anne's second cousin Midii Une. After one last night together, Trowa and Lady Une had went their separate paths.

Now here he was trying to figure out the toughest case he had ever worked on in his career with the Preventors. What had started out as a series of unconnected murders had suddenly taken a drastic turn for the worse when a serial rapist had been caught and had informed the L-4 Colony Police that the murders they were investigating were not as unconnected as they had thought. Suitably worried, the police had called in the Preventors and from there things had just gone downhill. First the rapist had been brutally raped and murdered in his jail cell and then a rash of retaliation murders had thrown everyone into a frenzy and took attention away from the main case-which the Preventors had labeled as assassinations.

Now Trowa was trying to figure out when the next assassination attempt was going to take place. Lost in thought, Trowa didn't hear the door to his office open and somebody enter. It took a minute for the auburn-haired, green-eyed Gundam Pilot 03 to realize that he had company. Reflexes trained during peacetime, honed during war, and kept up to their peak level by the fact that he was one of the five famed 'Falling Stars' prepared the man for its response.

Trowa tensed his leg muscles and prepared himself to initiate one of his trademark acrobatic backflips to get behind the intruder. Just as he was set to launch himself, Trowa's super sensitive nose smelled a familiar scent and brought his adrenalin levels down to their normal level. With a wry smile, he turned to the woman standing just inside his office door. 

Standing five feet eleven inches and with long blonde hair that usually fell to just below her shoulders but was tied up in a practical ponytail at the moment, Midii Une watched her lover relax as he registered who she was.

An expert hacker, mistress of disguise, and very accomplished assassin, Midii couldn't help but shiver as she remembered the moments she had first lost then found her beloved. Walking across to the desk with the sure stride of a dangerous feline on the prowl, Midii absently brushed a hand through her hair and down the outfit she was presently wearing. Stopping at the functional desk, he waited for Trowa to speak the fist words.

"Midii."

"Nanashi."

"What do you need amant?", asked Trowa as he came around from behind the desk.

"Wufei is on the vidcom for you. He doesn't look happy. From the expression on his face, I think he and Sally got into it again mon amour. I hope they get their problems situated. They are giving me a headache.", answered Midii as she perched herself on the corner of the desk.

"Boshe moi, those two need to do something. If only Sally hadn't jumped to conclusions when she saw Wufei with his dead wife's sister, Jai-lin. Wufei could have explained better as well instead of telling Sally to mind her own business.", replied Trowa as he rubbed his neck. (A typically Maxwell maneuver, thought Midii).

"Anything else, Midii?"

"Yes, your sister is not too happy with you right now. She was looking forward to practicing the old act tonight after dinner. Catherine even brought out her old knives and polished them till they glowed. Plus Duo and Hilde are on their way to pick us up."

Trowa grimaced as he heard about his sister. He knew all too well how she was when she got angry. Several bruises and a slightly wicked scar on the underside of his left arm was the result of Catherine's rage. Deciding to rush his phone call with Wufei and then hurry home to appease his sister, Trowa activated his video monitor. The screen lit up with the annoyed look of one Chang Wufei. Trowa smothered another groan as he saw the fire flaring in the solitary dragon's eyes.

"Good evening Wufei. What can I do for you this evening?", asked Trowa.

"First, send the onna away, Barton. I'd rather not have the details of my personal life spread around. Then we'll talk about this situation with that other frustrating woman.", snapped Wufei as he glared at the blonde woman beside his fellow pilot.

Midii bristled and was about to unleash a steam of furious gutter French that she was positive the annoying man on the screen didn't know. Trowa grabbed Midii's arm and gave it a slight squeeze to warn her not to do what he knew she was going to do. Midii didn't take to insults and slurs too well. She and the solitary Dragon didn't get along that well and she wondered how Sally could deal with the chauvinistic asshole.

**_"Sally must have the patience of a saint to deal with him every day. I do not understand how she could love such a rude and boorish man. Oh well, I guess it takes all kinds."_**_, thought Midii as she settled down. _

Trowa released his grip on Midii's arm and crossed his arms across his chest before pinning the pilot of Gundam 05 with an incendiary glare with his one visible eye.

"Wufei, her name is Midii not onna. How many times do I have to tell you that? If you keep insulting her like that, I'll let her treat you like Hilde and Dorothy had. The respect you give me should be extended to her as well. As for your request, I won't send her away. Maybe she will see something that will help you with this situation with Sally.", returned Trowa with just a bit of anger showing through in his usually quiet voice.

Watching the screen, Trowa and Midii could see that Wufei had been a little taken aback by the quiet brusqueness in Trowa's words. Used to the usually non-committal and blank faced pilot 03, Chang was surprised by the inferno raging deep within the solemn green eyes. Deciding to back off for a moment, Wufei nodded at Trowa.

"I understand. It seems that I have called at a bad time. I'll call back."

"Sorry mes amis, but Duo and Hilde will be here in a few hours. They are picking us up so we could come down to Earth to welcome Heero, Relena, Miliardo, and Lucrezia home. We won't be back on this colony for several days knowing Duo as well as we do.", came the hauntingly lilting and melodic voice of Midii as she ran a hand through her mid length blonde hair.

Wufei nodded; an action that Midii took as both an apology for his earlier words and in agreement with Midii's description of the braided one. With one final glance at Trowa, Wufei abruptly cut the connection. Once the screen had gone blank, Trowa stretched before wrapping Midii in the comforting cocoon of his arms.

"We'll get over this, Midii. We'll get over it. And when we do, I want to marry you as soon as possible. Do you think that you would mind being married to an old acrobat like me?", Trowa whispered into Midii's ear.

"You are the only one I could consider marrying. I had many offers from other men but they were not like you. You are the only man I want to marry, my darling Nanashi.", returned Midii in the same kind of whisper to her one and only beloved.

Earth

While Trowa and Midii were leaving the formers office, Preventor Agent Chang Wufei was closeted in his office at Headquarters trying to figure out how did his life and relationship with the Head of Preventor Medicine get so screwed up. Leaning back in his dimmed office looking at the darkened monitor, Wufei thought back to the day everything had gone wrong between him and Sally.

_Flashback_

_It had been one of their rare days off together in a long time and Wufei had planned to make the most of it with Sally. Three days previously, he had called a store that specialized in creating picnic baskets and had ordered one of their specials with a hundred dollar bottle of wine. No Wufei wasn't going to propose to Sally-at least not today- he was just setting things up to celebrate the years that they had been together as partners in Preventors. _

_At twenty-one years of age, Chang Wufei still had the dour look that had served him well through the Gundam Wars. Although not as piercing as Yuy's glare, Wufei's dour expression still intimidated people when he needed it to. Especially with that braided baka, Maxwell. Instead of the baby smooth face of a teenager, Wufei's frown came from the hardened angular planes of a hard man who didn't know how much it caused women to swoon. Standing at six feet, Chang was just about even with Heero in height. They both had the same lean, athletic build that had caused Sally to comment more than once that Heero and Wufei were the Greyhounds of the Gundam Pilots. Comparing the others to canines, Sally had confided in Wufei that she considered that Trowa was an Irish Wolfhound, Quatre was a Rhodesian Ridgeback, Zechs was a standard French Poodle with a hint of Rhodesian Ridgeback in him while Duo was a mixture of Bloodhound, Basset Hound, Pit Bull, and Bulldog. That comparison had drawn an explosive laugh from Chang as he and Sally conversed over lunch one day. _

_The day of their partnership anniversary had started off good. Coordinating with Heero and Trowa (who happened to be at Preventors Headquarters on Earth for a Command Staff Meeting), Wufei had gotten Lady Une to sign off on a personal day for him. She wasn't happy but promised to have the meeting recorded so that the absent pair could be kept informed of the goings on. _

_Wufei had left Preventors early so he could go to his apartment and change into the casual short pants he had chosen to wear. Midway through his getting dressed, there had been a knock on the door. _

_ "Who is it?", Wufei had called as he finished brushing his teeth_

_ "Lightning Courier Service, sir and I have a letter for one Chang Wufei.", came the voice of the courier._

_ "Just leave it by the door and I'll pick it up later."_

_ "Sorry sir but I need you to sign for this letter. It's a priority letter from __China__."_

_Grumbling, Wufei had answered the door, grabbed the pad he was supposed to sign, and scribbled his name across the screen with the annoying light pen hanging from the clipboard for that purpose. Finished, he almost snatched the letter out of the courier's hand, and thrust some bills at the man to pay for the delivery. The money was declined, much to Wufei's aggravation until the courier told him that the delivery had already been paid for. Dropping the letter on his coffee table, Wufei returned to brushing his teeth. When he was finished he saw that he still had a bit of time and decided to open the letter. Two minutes after the Chinese characters registered in his mind, Wufei was out the door sprinting to his motorcycle. Ten minutes after that, Chang Wufei was staring in the face of his late wife's younger sister. _

_Five minutes after Wufei and Jai-lin (His dead wife Mei-ran's younger sister) sat down in the park to talk, Sally Po strolled into the park and spotted them embracing in earnest on one of the more secluded park benches The doctor had stayed just long enough for Wufei to see her before she turned around and strode out of the park with angry yet regal steps._

_End Flashback_

Wufei looked accusingly at the desk drawer where the damnable letter sat. He had tried to explain to Sally what really had happened and had brought the letter in with him to show her. Unfortunately, as with all Wufei's plans, Murphy of Murphy's Law fame had showed up in the form of the hyperactive entity known far and wide as Duo Maxwell

At the time, Maxwell had been on Earth just to tell Lady Une to keep him off of any and all missions for the next two weeks because he wanted to enjoy his honeymoon with his wife. It seems that the two had eloped while undercover on another Preventors case.After a hurried exit from the bosslady's office that was helped along with three really wicked throwing knives, Maxwell had taken it upon himself to torture his two favorite targets: namely one Perfect Soldier and one Solitary Dragon.

It had been early afternoon when Maxwell the asshole had come jitterbugging into Wufei's office. Wufei was already in a bad mood because of the incident with Jai-lin and because he had gotten cussed out by one royal consort about his cheating on her best friend. Duo had just been chased out of Heero's office by a fusillade of gunfire that had nearly clipped his precious braid and now he promptly dropped his gluteus maximus on the corner of Wufei's desk as if he owned it. The resulting wrestling match had knocked the papers to the floor including the letter from Jai-lin. In the resulting scramble to pick things up, the braided one had picked up the letter and read it out loud as he stunned Wufei and everyone within hearing distance with his fluency in Chinese. As Duo read the very private letter, Wufei had become so incensed and white hot angry that he did the one thing he promised himself he would never do.

Wufei lost control of his anger and grabbed the nearest weapon he could find-which happened to be the fully loaded assault rifle he had set leaning against his desk for his proficiency test later that day. Flipping off the safety, charging the rifle with the first round, and rising out of his seat, Wufei had unloaded a full thirty round clip in Duo's direction in less than 1.2 seconds flat. Unfortunately for Wufei (and fortunately for Duo), Pilot 02 was blessed with the exceptionally phenomenal reflexes that all the pilots had and had escaped instant death by ducking out of the office and starting down the hall.

Duo's escaped didn't stop Wufei. The out of control Altron Gundam Pilot grabbed three more fully loaded clips and sped out of his office at full speed in pursuit of his quarry. In the end, three desks, twenty-five windows, a popular soda machine, and numerous lights had been shot up by the fully enraged pilot. The only thing that halted Wufei's hunt is that he ran out of ammo and slung the rifle at Duo's head, just missing it by inches. Unfortunately, Lucrezia Noin, Sally Po, and Relena Peacecraft had just rounded the corner when the rifle came zipping by. It missed the Vice Foreign Minister (this was before the election and Relena was still the VFM), clipped Noin's shoulder-missing her head by less than an inch- and came to a rest after grazing Sally in the back of the head at the foot of a potted plant.

In Commander Une's office, Wufei was read the riot act up one wall and down the next. Anne Une, he learned that day, had a very good command of the most vile cuss words he had ever heard. Some of the words coming out of her mouth even shocked him. Also in the room were, the head of the VFM's security detail, Heero Yuy, and the Prince himself: Zechs Merquise (Chang never thought of him as Miliardo Peacecraft). At the end of the combination debriefing/lecture/ bitch and moan session (aptly named in Wufei's opinion because Une bitched and he moaned mentally), the friendly commander had kindly informed him that he was suspended for two weeks without pay pending an investigation. Wufei had been about to speak up when he was pinned in place by three glacier cold glares directed his way.

After the four hour 'meeting'-which he overheard one of Une's secretaries say was the longest she had ever raked somebody over the hot coals- Wufei had stormed out of Une's office and down the hall to his own. Placing his handgun and his badge on his desk, he had stalked out of the office, caught an elevator down to the garage (Where he ran into Duo again and felt slightly vindicated when he left the braided one bleeding on the asphalt of the garage), jumped on his bike, rode out of the garage, and headed for his apartment. Just as he was leaving the base where Preventor Headquarters were, Wufei had pulled the front wheel of his bike off the ground and roared through the gate sentry while riding a perfect wheelie.

Wufei was half a block from his apartment when the police pulled him over and took him into custody as they had been ordered by their nominal superior, Commander Une.

Deciding to leave his brooding in his office for the evening, Wufei closed out his computer and set the hard drive protection program before shutting everything down. Locking the door, Wufei left the office and headed for the express elevator. Using his pass-card issued to all of the Preventors Command Staff (except Une, she had her own private elevator that she rarely used unless it was to escort some important and august personage who eschewed publicity to her private official domain), the tired agent called the conveyance to his floor and waited for the quiet his and subtle ring that announced the elevators arrival. When it arrived, he entered the box, punched the button for the garage, and leaned back against the wall with his eyes closed as the doors of the elevator shut and it began its near silent descent to the underground parking garage.

When the elevator slowly slid to its stop after its high speed jaunt from the tenth floor to the underground garage, Wufei opened his eyes and uncrossed his arms. As the door opened, he had to squint due to the lights in the garage brazing brilliantly to eliminate all shadows where an enemy could hide. Looking around Wufei spotted his jade green motorcycle with the dragon motif on the side. Strolling over to the subtly modified bike (thanks to Duo. One of the few things he ever was grateful the braided one did for him), Wufei reached into the pocket of his loose fighting pants and pulled out a keychain with two keys on it. Taking a hold of the first key, Wufei unlocked the personal lockbox on the wall behind the bike and took out his helmet. One of Duo's Sweepers acquaintances had painted the helmet with a likeness of a dragon on it. Looking down the wall where motorcycles were parked, Wufei saw the dark burgundy bike with the gold trim that belonged to Miliardo and the silver bike with the red, yellow, and blue trim that belonged to Heero.

Bringing his attention back to his choice of transportation, Wufei closed and relocked the helmet box then mounted his bike and stuck the other key in the ignition. Bringing the beast to life and letting it idle, Wufei slipped his helmet on and secured it to his head. Flipping up the visor and turning on the bright headlight, he backed the bike out of its spot and pointed in the direction of the garage exit. Twisting the throttle, Wufei sped towards the exit.

It was as he slowed down to take the gate that he saw her. Blond hair in its usual twin plaits hanging from the back of her head. Her empty hand with her thumb out while the other carrying the helmet he had bought her shortly after she started riding with him on days off. No words were spoken as he gave an abrupt nod before stopping to allow her to climb on. Once she was situated comfortably on the machine, Dr. Sally Po slid her own, matching, helmet (hers was a white horse on a black helmet). Giving the rider in front of her a gentle squeeze, Sally held on as Wufei started the bike moving again. Leaving the garage and going off base, Wufei turned the bike in the opposite direction from what Sally knew to lead to his apartment. Squeezing him a little tighter, she leaned her head against his back and activated the helmet to helmet intercom system installed on all of the pilot's motorcycles.

"Wufei."

"Yes. Sally."

"Where are we going?"

"To talk, we have a lot to discuss."

"Why are we headed away from your apartment?"

"Jai-Lin is there and at the moment, she would be a distraction. We're going to where we can discuss this without any distractions and interruptions."

Feeling Wufei tense up as he maneuvered the high-powered two wheeler, Sally wisely dropped the topic and let Wufei concentrate on the mid evening traffic. Thirty minutes later, Sally opened her eyes as she heard and felt the bike slow down and turn into a parking lot. She had been relaxing against Wufei's strong back reveling in the closeness she had missed for the past few weeks.

**_"For the past few weeks, my bed has been cold and lonely without him there every so often to liven it up. Without him, my home has been dull and lifeless. In that time we've been apart, I have come to the realization that without Wufei my life is not worthy of being lived. I already knew I loved him. I knew he still occasionally blamed himself over the death of his first wife Meiran. I shouldn't have been jealous. He was really surprised about Jai-lin and I didn't believe him. Was it love that caused that jealousy or was it the fact that I was genuinely scared of losing him.",_**_ pondered Sally as she felt the bike come to a stop._

Looking around, Sally recognized where they were. Wondering why Wufei had brought her to the shuttle port to talk, Sally unstrapped her helmet and lifted it off of her head. Shaking her head to untangle her hair, Sally looked around and saw that while they were at the shuttle port, Wufei had brought them away from the main buildings. Now they were in a dimly lit area next to what to be a deserted hanger. However, Sally's practiced eye saw that the building the motorcycle was currently parked next to had a super state of the art security system that matched anything thing Preventors could come up with. Looking past the decrepit exterior, Sally saw that the building was fairly new and in good shape. Turning to the young man stretched out on the grass with his hands behind his head, Sally gave him a questioning look.

"This is where I could to think. Especially at night, it helps me put the chaos of my mind in order. Just listening to the nocturnal animals puts me into a meditative state of mind. I have never brought anyone else out here.", said Wufei in quiet voice.

"I see, thank you for sharing this with me.", responded Sally in the same tone.

Wufei nodded without looking over and just let the night sounds wash over him. Lost in thought, he shortly became aware of a rustling sound next to him. Using his peripheral version, he saw that Sally now lay down beside him. A gentle pressure against his side informed Wufei that while he was lost in thought, she had nestled up beside him. Slowly moving his left arm, he slid it under Sally and wrapped it around her pulling her closer to him. When it was immediately rejected, he allowed a small exultation to filter through him. He exerted a small pressure against her side telling Sally that she was forgiven. When he felt her arms entwine themselves around his chest, Wufei realized that Sally was letting him know that he was also forgiven.

An hour later, Wufei was pulling up in front of Sally's apartment. When the bike stopped, Sally dismounted and gave her chauffer a lingering glance before disappearing into the building. Since Sally's apartment fronted the street, Wufei waited for the distinctive soft light from the bedroom he had stayed in many times before wash over the balcony. Satisfied that Sally was safely in for the night, he prepared to start the motorcycle. Midway through his actions, Wufei heard Sally's voice call down from her balcony.

"Wufei, I….I.. I would appreciate it if you stayed with me tonight.", she said in a soft and somewhat nervous tone of voice as her hands fluttered nervously at the front of the silk kimono he knew she preferred to sleep in.

Wufei shut off the motorcycle, extended the kickstand, took off his helmet, and headed to the glass doors that denoted the entrance to the building.

"Okay Sai li."

Sally melted internally when she heard Wufei speak her name in the Chinese way she remembered. Turning around, she faced the bedroom door and waited for him to entire. When he did, the two looked at each other before slowly coming together in a gentle kiss that erased the remaining frustration between the two of them. Once they broke for air, Wufei reached underneath Sally's legs and picked her up before carrying her to the narrow queen-sized bed.

Five minutes later, the soft light went out and no noise was heard from the balcony, save from the sounds of a reunited couple joined in the throes of passion.

**_[Cue: 'Kiss From a Rose' by Seal]_**

****

Back at Noventa Manor, The Thirteenth Baroness of Noventa was flipping through one of her growing collection of motorcycle magazines. No one except her very close family knew that Sylvia Noventa loved motorcycles and motorcycle racing. When she was a little girl no more than seven or eight years old, Sylvia's parents took her to see a motorcycle grand prix race and ever since then she's been infatuated by the two wheeled vehicles.

Unfortunately for Sylvia, she didn't know how to ride a bike and her parents and grandparents refused to have someone to teach her. They feared that the young baroness would do something stupid and get herself killed before she could provide the next generation of Noventa's. Something that often made Sylvia grumble whenever it was mentioned by her grandmother (and to a lesser extent, her aunt).

Reading up on the new bikes that were coming out, Sylvia sighed as she read the specifications on each bike and dreamed of herself riding one of those sexy machines one day. Of course her libido shook itself awake when Sylvia thought the word 'sexy' and immediately painted a picture of a certain Preventor sniper in tight dark grey riding leathers on a storm grey bike. Sylvia's reaction was textbook and unconscious. She sighed like a girl in love for the first time.

Realizing what she was doing, Sylvia cut that train of thought off before it could cause anymore 'unnecessary' situations like what happened as she relaxed in her bathtub while flipping through a catalogue of houses. A faint pinkish tint spread rapidly across Sylvia's face as she remembered what had happened just a few hours before.

**_Flashback_**

****

_Sylvia leaned back and rested her head on the wall at the back of her combination whirlpool/bathtub as she relaxed and let the hot water loosen her muscles up. Reaching above her head, Sylvia flicked a switch and the sound of an ancient classical piece of music floated into the small bathroom. The door opened and Jan, Sylvia's maid entered. _

_ "Jan do you know the name of this piece of music?", asked Sylvia while letting her eyes close. _

_ "I believe it is called 'In the Hall of the Mountain King', milady.", answered Jan as she set Sylvia's night clothes on the little settee. _

_ "Hmm, 'In the Hall of the Mountain King', I like it. It is very soothing albeit with a slightly dark overtone. It's relaxing.", said Sylvia as she reached over to the little stool and took a hold of a magazine resting there. _

_Jan looked at her mistress as the young girl sat in the tub and read the catalogue she knew that Baroness Sylvia had bought and smuggled into the manor. It was an open secret among the family servants that the young Baroness was thinking about moving out of the manor and into her own, albeit smaller house. Giving the young lady relaxing in the tub a gentle smile, Jan left Sylvia to her privacy. _

_Sylvia heard the door close and sighed. She wondered why she hadn't found her Mr. Right yet. She knew she was attractive (if the attentions of that drooling incompetent Burnside were any indication) yet she hadn't been attracted to Burnside or any of the fawning idiots that attended her grandmother's soiree's. In fact, those moneyed young men bored her to tears. _

_Dropping the magazine on the floor, Sylvia looked down at her naked body as it rested beneath the surface of the water. Looking down at the semi-shaved blonde thatch of hair covering her vagina, Sylvia sighed again and let her left index finger trace the outlines of her nether regions as she had done before. When Jan entered the bathroom again several minutes after Sylvia's self-exploratory strokes, she shook her head at the glazed smile on her charge's face and the familiar muskiness of a feminine orgasm. _

_ "Ah, my young baroness, I hope and pray that you soon find your perfect match who can put you in that state of blissfulness permanently.", sighed Jan as she helped the weak-kneed Sylvia out of the bathtub and into a large bath towel. _

_This evolution continued on in silence until Sylvia muttered to herself. _

_ "Oh __Devon__ what are you doing to me."_

_Jan shook her head as the scent from earlier returned with a vengeance as Sylvia orgasmed again and glistening beads of her essence started to run down her leg._

_End Flashback_

**_"Damn, what happened to me? What strange force came over me?", _**_thought Sylvia as she closed the motorcycle magazine and placed it on the nightstand._

Now Sylvia was highly intelligent and knew exactly what happened biologically to her-she had read her fair share of porno magazines and seen a few porno movies in her time-she just didn't know what had caused her to spontaneously climax like she did. With a glance at the closed bathroom door, Sylvia remembered that she needed to call Preventor Tabris to inform him of the estimated time of the arrival of the shuttle carrying the Yuy's and the Peacecraft's.

Rising from her position on her bed, Sylvia unconsciously skipped across the room to her desk where her video phone was. Sitting in the soft leather chair, Sylvia looked for the slip of paper she had wrote the number to his personal communicator down on. Finding it, she dialed the number and draped her leg over the arm of her chair. Not realizing that the draped leg pose was very provocative, Sylvia waited for the agent to answer his phone.

Over at Devon's apartment, the man Sylvia called was desperately trying to get catch a nap. When he had arrived home from Preventor Headquarters, Devon had checked his email and found out that the director had gotten a possible lead on the location of a drug dealer that the Preventors had been trying to nail for more than three years. The director had found out that the dealer in question had planned a late night appearance to one of his nightclubs in order to keep everything cool and copacetic with his suppliers and street level 'associates' to make sure his street credit was intact.

Recalling the mission parameters, Devon grabbed his pillow and covered his ears to drown out the ringing of the phone.

"Oh dammit, looks like I will just have answer the damn thing. Crap.", snarled Devon as he gave up on trying to block out the sound and slung his pillow across the room.

Getting out of bed wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, Devon stormed over to the phone wiping some of the sleep from his eyes. Checking the clock on the wall (displaying in military time of course), Devon saw that ever since he had gotten home and received the mission he had only managed to grab three hours of sleep.

"Ten thirteen pm, damn, even though I don't need to make my appearance at the club till twelve I was hoping that I could wake up around 11:15 and get dressed before heading out to take care of business.", grumbled Devon as he dropped into the ragtag chair and answered the phone.

"Tanisius, make it quick.", snapped Devon as he slapped the offending device.

As the screen cleared up, Devon grabbed a t-shirt that was lying across the back of his chair and shrugged into it. Once the screen cleared up, Devon turned back to the screen and his mouth dropped. There on the screen was the Vice Foreign Minister. And Vice Foreign Minister Sylvia Noventa did not look happy at the words he had said or the tone of voice he use when he said them.

At first Devon didn't know which surprised him more. The fact that Sylvia Noventa was on the other end of the line or the fact that she was perched in a very erotic pose and was in a state of undress that would have had most men drooling and sending her obscene messages across a computer network. Quickly shaking himself out of his stupor at how truly fetching the VFM looked, attired only in a short night gown that did little to hide the curves underneath.

****

******_"Either she does not know that with the light behind her, it outlines her figure and illuminates the fact that at the moment, she isn't wearing a bra for her ample breasts. Or she knows and it just using it to distract me."_**_, thought Devon as he crossed his legs out of sight of the video pickup to conceal the sudden thermal expansion that had just occurred._

Oblivious to the direction the Preventor Agent's were starting to travel in addition to the fact that the light behind her illuminated her in such a way as to slightly reveal her figure to the man on the other side of the line, Sylvia allowed only the twitching of her eyebrow to reveal her irritation at the semi-rude greeting. That halted the minute the screen cleared up and she got her first glimpse of the agent since she had talked to him earlier.

**_"Ohmigawd, that t-shirt is so tight I can trace the outline of his muscles underneath it.",_**_ mused Sylvia for a second before her Pavlovian drooling response kicked in._

The two people stared at each other for a minute before getting down the purpose of the call. By mutual unspoken agreement, Sylvia started off.

"Preventor Tabris, I am calling to inform you of the estimated time of arrival for our mutual acquaintances tomorrow morning."

"I understand. What time do we expect their shuttle? My maintenance teams and I will be there around 6:30 in the morning. Is that early enough to get the work done before the morning departures peak and make it harder for us to work."

"Yes that shall be early enough. The shuttle will probably arrive around 7:45 or so. That arrival time will put it at the shuttle port as one of the last few morning arrivals. When the shuttle has landed, it will be directed to a company hanger for a mechanical inspection. Inside the hanger chosen, an unmarked helicopter will be parked. Once the hanger doors are closed, the passengers will disembark the shuttle and board the helicopter while their luggage is delivered to their estate. Once the passengers are aboard the helicopter, it will be towed out of the hanger and after receiving clearance will immediately take off for an early morning meeting at an undisclosed location. Once the helicopter has departed the area, your personnel are relieved of their duties. If need be, your most experienced teams will be transported to the undisclosed location to provide a secondary or tertiary line of security.", read Sylvia from a sheet of paper she had scribbled notes on when Thomas had given her the information after conferring with his equal in the Peacecraft household and suggesting the breakfast.

Devon nodded as he committed the main details to memory. Scratching his t-shirt over the panther tattoo, he wondered if there was a back-up plan if something happened and the main plan had to be discarded. Questioning, the VFM about his concerns, he was a bit disappointed that there was no back-up plan that could be implemented in time. Thinking a bit more Devon realized that at the airport tucked away in one of the hangers he owned through a consortium of dummy companies he had created that couldn't be traced back to him except through the a vigorous and lengthy investigation, he had several back up plans that could be used and discarded as needed without exposing his connection to them.

**_"Hmm, if the press shows up at the Winner Enterprises Hanger trying to get a glimpse of the returning couples, I could have the pilot of the shuttle bring it to the Hellcat Limited Transport Incorporated Hanger, to the hanger operated by Sigma Systems, or to the Vigilante Aerial Photography Hanger. Luckily all three of those hangers plus several smaller hangers are owned by myself through my Wildstar Technologies Unlimited umbrella company. This will work, although if they go to the aerial photography hanger, my baby will have to be moved outside. Oh well, maybe I can get some off time after this and take my girl up for a relaxation flight.", _**_mused Devon as he mentally checked and discarded all the other options at an astonishing speed if one were to look into his thought processes. _

Deciding to pass on his mental observations, Devon cleared his throat not noticing that Sylvia had been watching him mentally work everything out. She had been unconsciously admiring his strong chest and wondering what he would look like when he had to think something through.

"Ms. Noventa."

"Call me Sylvia since at the moment we are not at either the Foreign Ministry Building or Preventors Headquarters. It would make this easier for the both of us."

"If you say so, Madame Vice Foreign Minis…… I mean Sylvia."

"That is good, Devon."

Sylvia allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction when she saw how awkward it was for the agent to call her by her given name instead of either of her titles. Devon offered up an uplifted corner of his mouth before continuing on with his idea.

"Sylvia, I have an idea for a back-up plan if certain people decide to make an appearance. I have some…….. contacts I could call and have them set up the use of their hangers for the arrival if the main hanger is deluged with unnecessary people. Some of these contacts have their own helicopters that can be used in lieu of using a helicopter with connections to the official personnel who do not want to be identified. I can make a call now and get everything set up so that things will be ready."

"Why don't you go ahead and can get in touch with those contacts and set everything up. That way the back-up plan will be in position just in case everything goes to hell in a hand basket. I'll find a way to get in touch with the pilot and inform him of those plans.", said Sylvia with a yawn that did wonders for her bust.

Devon said he would, then suggested that Sylvia to get some sleep, he'd see her tomorrow morning at headquarters. She was going to ride in with Lady Une in Lady Une's unmarked car. Sylvia was going to meet the returning couples and welcome them back in her official capacity as VFM and as Foreign Minister Yuy's friend and confidante on Earth. Then she was going to invite them to Noventa Manor for the breakfast that was set up. It was a given that their friends would accompany the newlyweds to the breakfast, however they were going to have to use ground transportation since the only ones going in the helicopter would be Sylvia, the pilot, and the two couples. Une wasn't going to be at the breakfast since she was going to covertly set up a press conference with a reporter on her private payroll.

When a very sleepy Sylvia finally cut the connection, Devon saw that he was running late. Dashing into the bathroom, he took a quick shower. Finishing the shower, Devon ran a hand over his face and decided against shaving. Going into the dingy bedroom, Devon put on his undergarments, his conformal bullet proof vest with its Gundanium inserts, a forest green colored shirt with a collar, and a pair of triple-pleated black khaki-style slacks. After that, he slid on a pair of dark burgundy slide on casual shoes before reaching into the closet and taking down a plastic covered black dressy casual sport coat.

Taking the plastic off of the coat, he hung the article on the door before turning to his broken down nightstand and pressing a hidden switch on the side. When the hidden drawer slid out, Devon reached in and took a pair of suppressed .25 caliber pocket pistols. Unlike his twin .40 caliber handguns, these two smaller handguns had been modified to fit into a pair of muscle activated holsters he wore on his wrists underneath his jacket. They had helped him out of many jams before and he trusted his life to them. With a flick of either wrist, the small handguns would pop out just needing a quick flick of the safety to make them ready for immediate use. Devon had mastered taking the safety off either gun as they were sliding into his waiting hand. Putting the two holsters on and situating them so that they weren't noticeable and felt comfortable, Devon shrugged into his jacket. With one last glacial cold smile at his dirty mirror, Devon left his apartment and headed down for his jeep.

For this assignment, he needed something a bit flashier, faster, and better handling.

Ten minutes after leaving his apartment, Devon entered a more upscale area of the city. Pulling into the parking lot of a seemingly abandoned warehouse, he deactivated the heavy duty security system and activated an electric garage door opener. Pulling the jeep in, he shut the door behind him and shut off the jeep. Going over to the wall where he knew the light switches were, he flicked them all to the 'on' position. From the outside, the warehouse remained dark, inside however, it was as bright as day. Blinking his eyes to restore his vision, Devon looked upon row after row of shiny new cars and trucks. In one corner were sports cars, another had regular everyday cars, another corner had sports sedans. He ignored them all and went to a corner where several high dollar luxury sedans, grand touring cars, and sports cars. Looking at the cars, Devon chose a subtle grey two door convertible that he knew from past uses would handle better than anything else in the garage. Walking over to his jeep, Devon dropped his keys on the driver's seat before returning to the chosen vehicle and opening the unlocked door. Opening the glove compartment, Devon pulled out the keys and placed them in the ignition before reaching underneath the seat and activating the pistol safe kept there. When the hatch opened, Devon reached in and pulled the two 9 mm pistols out and placed them where he could quickly grab them if needed.

Once he was situated in the car with his seatbelt on, Devon started the vehicle, opened the garage doors, and pulled out into the night. He had a mission to complete.

_0520 AM Preventer Headquarters._

Devon pulled up to the sniper building over at Preventor Headquarters in his jeep. It was cold that morning as evidenced by the thick denim coat he was wearing. Taking a sip from the cup of coffee he carried in his hand, he saw several of his team members had already arrived. Hearing a few cars pulling into the lot, he saw that Preventors Ferret, Asgaard, Sentinel, and Snowbird were just getting out of their cars. Giving each a nod, Devon entered the building. Inside the welcoming warmth the team leader saw his assistant, Preventor Eagle, and Preventor Goddess discussing the merits of their respectable .45 caliber handguns.

On the other side of the Headquarters complex; Sylvia Noventa sat in the warm office of Preventors Head, Lady Anne Une. Sylvia had woken up abnormally early for her and Thomas had driven her to headquarters in the family limousine. Once there she was a bit miffed to see a bright-eyed Anne Une and a very welcome steaming hot cup of Kona Coast Hawaiian Roast coffee.

At the moment, Lady Une was pondering the back-up plan that Agent Tanisius had came up with on the spur of the moment. She approved of the plan but wondered how Agent Tanisius had those contacts. Une looked over at Sylvia and offered up a wry grin as the VFM quietly snoozed in the comfortable chair in front of the table. Putting her coffee cup down, Une looked objectively at the sleeping person across from her.

Sylvia Noventa had on a crème colored pantsuit with a peach colored camisole top that was barely visible where the lapels of the jacket met. On the Vice Foreign Ministers feet were a sensible pair of low heels that added about an inch to the baroness's height. Checking the analog clock on the wall (Une preferred analog to digital for some reason unknown to anyone; herself included), Anne saw that all of the snipers would have arrived at headquarters and would now be undergoing their pre-mission briefing. Picking up the video phone handset, the head of the Preventors Organization extended one exquisitely manicured finger and pressed the button that instantly connected her with the sniper briefing room. The phone buzzed twice in the peculiar manner that the snipers preferred (it didn't disrupt them too badly if a briefing was going on was their reasoning. Une guessed-correctly it seems- that they hated the obnoxious ring the phone gave off).

"Sniper Briefing Room, Agent Tabris may I help you?", came the cultured baritone voice over the line.

Une watched in amusement as the sleeping girl across from her suddenly snapped awake as if goosed by a giant hand. Stilling the grin that threatened to break out at the VFM's reaction, Lady Anne Une gave the agent one of her infamous looks.

"Your back up plan is approved, Tanisius. Carry on.", stated Une before hanging up.

Turning her attention back to Sylvia, Une indicated the clock and stood up. Picking up Sylvia's empty coffee cup, she took it and her own over to the basin in the private lavatory and washed the two mugs out. When she was finished, Anne reentered the office and put the two cups on the window sill to dry. Turning back to the VFM, Une noticed that Sylvia still had a little crust at the corners of her eyes. Reaching into the top drawer of her desk, she passed a small packet of moist towelettes to Sylvia. When the younger woman quirked an eyebrow in question, Une pointed at the corner of her eyes and wordlessly pantomimed wiping the crust off.

"I do not know Agent Tanisius that well but I do know that it would be better for you to have a clean face when you see him.", stated Une as she looked down at her desk so not to see the blush that she was sure would be speeding across Sylvia's face.

A choked chuckle and the sound of hurried wiping with a muttered curse confirmed Une's thoughts. When she lifted her head from the very minor reports on her desk, she saw Vice Foreign Minister Noventa rummaging through her purse for a compact so she could touch up the subtle make-up she had put on earlier. When Sylvia was finished with the touch up and Une had touched her own miniscule cosmetics up, the two women exited Une's office and caught the express elevator down to the parking garage. Once in the garage, the pair walked over to Une's private vehicle.

One thing about Anne Une that nobody knew was the fact that Une loved driving and often drove herself in to headquarters. Another thing that no one knew was that Une was an avid collector of cars and had a personal collection of over three hundred classical and modern vehicles. When she had moved into Treize's estate and inherited the Khushrenada Duchy, Une had transported her favorite ten cars in the collection to the estate. On her off days (when she actually took one as commanded by Dr. Sally Po), Une could often be found in the back garage tinkering with one of the vehicles. Lately it seems that her adopted daughter, Duchess Marimaia Khushrenada had also taken to the collection and the two often were found on weekends and forced off days either cruising in one of the cars or checking out the various classical car shows and Concours'd Elegance. Sometimes, Une drove one of her collection cars into work, eschewing the official Preventors car and driver assigned to her.

Today, Une and Sylvia approached a nondescript European sedan. Turning off the alarm system (designed by the Foreign Ministers' new husband of course), Une pressed the button on her remote that unlocked the doors and started the engine. The two women climbed into the car and Une inserted the key into the ignition. Buckling her seatbelt when her door was closed and hearing the identical sound that signified that the VFM had buckled her seatbelt as well, Une shifted the automatic transmission into reverse and backed out of her reserved parking spot. Once the car had backed out and was now facing the direction of the exit, Une shifted the transmission into drive and headed for the garage exit. Once they were on the highway, Une turned on the radio to an easy listening music radio station. Glancing at Sylvia out of the corner of her eye, Une told her that they needed to pick up Marimaia since she wanted to be there to welcome Ms. Relena back home as well.

"I understand Une. I have no problems with her joining us. Go ahead, we have time.", said Sylvia as she listened to the radio.

Une smiled as she thought of her now fourteen year old charge then frowned at the fact that her adopted daughter was starting to garner appreciative glances from her male classmates. Marimaia's red eyebrows were also starting to develop into the dreaded Khushrenada Split. Une prayed that those eyebrows wouldn't grow to the extreme that her daughters' cousin Dorothy's had. She hoped that Marimaia's eyebrows would be as short as her father's had been.

_0615 AM __Brussels__ International and Interstellar Shuttleport._

The van carrying the six Preventor snipers pulled up to the main terminal of the shuttle port just as a black shuttle with four persons aboard landed and taxied over to where two familiar people waited. Duo brought the shuttle to a stop and he and Hilde started shutting everything down. Hand signaling to the ground crewman to hook up the ground electrical power, Duo gave the man a thumbs up as he returned the sign indicating that he understood and was going to do as he was asked. Finishing the shut down on his side of the cockpit, Duo pointed out the couple heading towards the shuttle to Hilde.

"Looks like those two finally got their act together.", said Duo.

"About damn time they did.", grumbled Hilde as she unhooked her harness and headed out into the main cabin where Trowa and Midii sat patiently.

"Yes, Wufei was starting to get on my last nerve with his 'injustice' and 'onna' comments.", added Midii as she rose up from her seat and went to wash out her coffee cup in the stainless Gundanium sink..

Midii had excellent eyesight and had spotted Wufei and Sally as the Maxwell's shuttle had turned off the active runway. Now watching as her companion stretched his lanky six foot four inch frame, she sighed and wondered if Ms. Relena had to deal with her similarly non-loquacious husband. Turning at the persistent knock on the shuttle hatch, Midii saw that Duo and Trowa were preparing to open the hatch and let the built in ladder extend to the ground. Waiting for the inevitable, Midii closed her eyes.

_"Heyas Wu-Man!!! How's Things Going?", _shouted Duo.

_"Maxwell!!! How Many Times Have I Told You That My Name Is Wufei!!. Not Wu-man, Wuffers, Or Any of the Other Non-Sensical Things You Call Me!! If Today Wasn't The Day, I Would Take That Braid of Yours as Payment For All The Insults You've Heaped On Me!",_ yelled Wufei in return.

Midii sighed again in resignation. Ever since she had joined the 'extended family and support group' (as Duo and Hilde called it) as Trowa's significant other, Midii knew that each time Wufei and Duo came in close relation to each other, things like this happened: Duo insulting Wufei and Wufei responding by threatening to chop off Duo's braid. Privately, Hilde had confided in Midii and told her that although they insulted each other with astonishing regularity, Wufei and Duo held each other in the highest esteem and neither would refuse the other if they needed the help.

**_"Now only if Heero and Miliardo can learn to act the same way."_**, thought Midii as she walked back to the small cabinet her and Nanashi had shared and picked up their luggage.

Midii was so lost in thought that she didn't hear Trowa walk in. She only became aware of his being there when he reached around her and took the luggage out of her hand.

"Are you alright mademoiselle?", asked Trowa with a concerned expression.

"I am fine no-name. Just a little bit tired although I am happy to be on the Earth once again.", murmured Midii as she let Trowa's long arms embrace her from behind.

Trowa nodded and let Midii relax into his arms before escorting her out of the stateroom, through the main cabin , and out onto the tarmac where Hilde and Sally were already talking about the goings on in their lives, while Duo and Wufei had finished their friendly discussion and were now loading the van with their luggage and stuff. When Trowa and Midii left the shuttle, Sally told them where they were going to meet the newlyweds.

_0632 AM Preventor Sniper Team One: Roof of Main Terminal. _

Devon checked in with the other team members to see if everything was alright. They had arrived at the shuttle port fifteen minutes late due to a minor vehicle problem (some idiot had forgotten to fill the van up with gas the night before.)

"All teams. This is Team leader. Report."

"Team Two all clear. Nothing to report." - Preventors Eagle and Snowbird.

"Team Three. Everything is clear here." - Preventors Goddess and Raptor.

"Team Four here. We're still clear." - Preventors Sentinel and Swordfish.

"Team Five reporting in. Still clear." - Preventors Asgaard and Loki.

"Team Six. Everything is clear." - Preventors Ferret and Gladius.

Devon looked over at his spotter, Preventor Silvermouse, and sighed. So far everything was going to plan. Changing the channel on his headset to the approach frequency, Devon listened to various shuttles get their landing clearances and take-off clearances. Not hearing the call letter he was expecting, Devon stood up and stretched.

"Hey, I gotta make a call on my perscomm unit to set up the back up plan. Get on the sniper scope and keep an eye on things. Let me know if anything happens. I'll just be right over there.", Devon told Silvermouse as he indicated a small hidden spot a few yards away that was far enough for privacy but close enough for Devon to return in seconds if needed.

"Okay Boss. I got it. Take your time.", answered Silvermouse while shifting his eyes from the spotter scope to the smaller rifle scope.

Devon nodded and stepped over to the spot he had indicated and made his call.

"Vigilante Aerial Photography, How may I help you?", came the voice of the hanger manager.

"Chester, recognize my voice?", asked Devon.

"Yes sir I do. What is it you need sir? Going flying today?"

"Not now, maybe later. Don't use my name. I need you to tow Wildstar II out of the hanger. My contacts with Preventors needed a place to stow a shuttle for a bit. We're the back up just in case this VIP shuttle has to divert to another hanger."

"Who will be arriving?", asked Chester.

Devon didn't answer and let his silence over the line signify to Chester that the occupants of the shuttle were of no concern to him.

"I understand boss. Anything else you might need?"

"Yeah, have one of the larger helicopters ready for immediate take off and a pilot who can keep his mouth shut."

"Yes sir. I'll get on it right away."

Devon said he appreciated it and killed the link before returning to his position on the rifle. His spotter looked at him and pointed at the communications link with the tower.

"Bad news boss, all incoming flights are going to be held up for fifteen minutes. One of the shuttles on approach declared a minor emergency and the tower gave them a priority landing clearance that pushes everything else back a little bit."

"I see. Did you pass the word to the others? Well then let them know to take a few minutes to stretch and grab a bite or coffee if need be."

"Already done boss, I was just waiting for you to return so I can grab a couple those big breakfast burgers for us to eat."

"Go ahead Silvermouse.", said Devon then laughed as he watched his young spotter dash off to the access way

**_"If he thinks that I didn't see him ogling the cute waitress behind the counter as we passed, Silvermouse has another thing coming.", _**_mused __Devon_.

_0729 AM TransStellar Spacelines Shuttle: Arriving Flight 7143._

Adrienne Nicole Tanisius gritted her teeth as her shuttle hit another pocket of turbulence as it descended into the shuttle port on Earth. Getting a ticket for her flight had been a slight hassle and she had to resort to purchasing a ticket to another shuttle port with a connecting flight to the Brussels, Belgium shuttle port in the city where the Preventors had their headquarters base.

"Dammit, I wish I could have used one of the family shuttles. That would have made this trip easier. Plus it would have been funny to see what kind of reaction the Preventors would have if one of our shuttles had landed.", snorted Adrienne as she l brought her seat to its upright position.

The Tanisius Family shuttles were known to be armed and carried a squad of bodyguards for each member of the family that were traveling aboard the shuttle. Leopold and Brianna Tanisius had so many enemies in both the public and the private business that it wasn't funny.

Hearing a slight snore, Adrienne looked over at the sleeping form in the seat next to her and debated on whether or not to wake the seat's occupant. Seeing that a few curls had drooped, she brushed them back with a sister's tenderness. When the curls were back where they belonged, she allowed her anger at her parents boil back up. Ever since she had rushed out of the delicatessen with her sister, Adrienne had a sneaking feeling that even though she was going to Earth to catch up with her brother, her parents were going to bollix up the works again. The confirmation of that came when her first flight landed at the shuttle port in Athens and there waiting for her in the waiting arrival was the smiling face of her seventeen year old brother, Morgan.

At seventeen years of age, Morgan Richard Tanisius was in the midst of his first semester of his senior year in high school. He was an exceptional student and had many female admirers. Unlike Owen, Morgan wasn't a skirt chaser. Morgan was a quiet, very studious student. He was also something of a homebody preferring to stay at home and read a book or cook than go out with his friends.

As she mused about her family, the shuttle she was on landed and taxied to its assigned gate for debarkation. Waiting for the majority of people to get off, the twenty-five year old tapped her brothers' shoulder to wake him.

Morgan felt the gentle but persistent tapping of his shoulder and slowly lifted one eyelid to display one of his light brown eyes. Yawning, he stretched and leaned forward.

"Alright, Adrienne I'm up I'm up." grumbled the teen as he grimaced as the shuttle's interior light shifted from dim to bright as the flight crew switched over to ground power.

Adrienne grumbled something that was probably uncomplimentary but Morgan brushed it off and stood up to his full height of an even six feet then reached up to the overhead bin and grabbed her briefcase and his duffle bag. Morgan hadn't wanted to come to Earth in the first place since it meant that his father wanted him to start learning the families, public businesses.

The two siblings walked off the shuttle and made their way to the suited man holding the sign with their family name on it.

_0752 AM Disguised Winner Family VIP Private Shuttle._

In the main cabin of a shuttle on final approach newlywed Relena Peacecraft-Yuy and her new sister-in-law Lucrezia Noin-Peacecraft were playing with the giggling baby boy that was crawling around on the carpeted floor. Behind them at the well-stocked galley, their husbands were busy finishing up the dishes that had been used to prepare their breakfast.

Dorothy and Quatre had landed on Heero and Relena's resort colony late last night and had decided to get some rest before continuing on to Mars where Zechs and Noin waited. Once they had cleared the main traffic lanes, Dorothy and Quatre had set up a rotation where there was always at least one pilot in the cockpit at all times (except when they were in congested shuttle port space) and one parent with their son Jamal. Several times during the trip, either Quatre or Dorothy had brought the littlest Winner to the cockpit so they could share with him the wonders of space.

Right now though, Jamal's parents were busy in the shuttles' cockpit doing their final landing checklists. Having a bit more experience than his wife (can anyone say major UNDERSTATEMENT), Quatre was in the left seat as the pilot in command. The Arabian held the shuttle control wheel in a light yet slightly tense grip as he leveled the shuttle off at the altitude required by the tower. With still several miles to go, Quatre still hadn't lowered the flaps, slats, and landing gear; he was waiting till the last two and a half miles before lowering those necessities so that he would be right on speed when he came within visual range of the runway.

"Quatre, check your speed and altitude and keep an eye out for that other shuttle. The tower pushing our arrival back by fifteen minutes kept us at the same altitude as another shuttle and we are rapidly gaining on it.", stated Dorothy as she checked her navigation consoles and set her switches up for her part of the post landing checklist.

"I will, Dorothy. I'll alter my speed and altitude if need be. At the moment we don't need to do anything. Everything is clean and green so far. I'll deploy the speed brakes if it looks like I'm going to run up this guys' exhaust.', returned Quatre as he made a slight adjustment to his trim.

Dorothy nodded and looked out the side window as she kept her hands ready to grab the control wheel if something happened. Checking the distance measuring equipment window, she saw that the shuttle was 3 miles away from landing. Activating the cabin intercom system, Dorothy did her best flight attendant impression asked the Yuy's and the Peacecraft's to strap themselves and her son into their seats in preparation for landing. Checking the monitor, she saw that the passengers were ahead of her and had already tightened their four point harnesses and placed a now yawning Jamal into his child seat next to a window.

"Dorothy, honey, we're on final approach and I need your concentration up here in the cockpit with me. Not back there on Jamal; our son is in good hands. Between those two of his godfathers, Jamal will be protected by the two most dangerous men in the entire Earth Sphere.', stated Quatre as he dropped the shuttle's flaps and lowered the landing gear.

In conjunction with the speed brakes he had thumbed out a minute before, the landing gear and the flaps slowed the shuttle to just above its average landing speed. It also dropped altitude from 500 feet to 200 feet in no time. Now as the quiet pilot retarded the throttles, the speed and altitude dropped as well.

With Quatre concentrating on his touchdown, Dorothy was communicating with the tower and was requesting permission for a frequency change when they had taxied the shuttle off the runway and were headed to the hangar it was going to stop in.

"Tower, MeadowAir Shuttle Four Niner Seven."

"Go ahead Four Niner Seven, this is Brussels Tower."

"Tower, Four Niner Seven requests permission to switch to MeadowAir Common for ramp instructions upon clearing active runway. We need to talk to our company maintenance manager about some slight damage to Four Niner Seven. We are not declaring an emergency, tower.", communicated Dorothy as she felt the main gear touchdown onto the smooth ribbon of silvery concrete.

"MeadowAir Shuttle Four Niner Seven. Permission Granted. Call tower to verify active runway clear before switching to MeadowAir Common. Brussels Tower understands that you are not declaring an emergency."

"Copy that Brussels Tower and thank you for granting our request. This flight crew owes you a case of your favorite."

"You are welcome Four Niner Seven and let me be the first to welcome you our great city. Take in the sites and enjoy yourselves while your maintenance department does its job. Thanks for the offer Four Niner Seven but this tower crew is not allowed to accept gifts from anyone. Although I do hear that one of the last cases of an exquisite A. C. 199 Red Zinfandel from the Winner Family Winery will be on Earth for a bit as a congratulatory gift to both the new Sanq Kingdom Monarchs and the Foreign Minister and her husband whenever they return from their honeymoon. I wish I could get a hold of one of the bottles from that case.", came the sighing voice of the tower chief.

"Copy that Tower, I'll talk to my Chief Pilot and see what he can do to get Mister Winner to surreptitiously deliver a case.", returned Dorothy as she silently chuckled and made a note to have one of cases of the subtly requested wine delivered by courier to the tower chief.

Taking out a pen, she quickly jotted down a note for her husband about the deal and slid it over to Quatre who glanced at the note, nodded, and then silently requested her pen to make a slight change to the 'thank you' note he planned to have delivered to the tower chief. Dorothy smiled and turned her attention back to the communications headset. She figured that the t-c (tower chief for those who haven't been following this part of the story) had heard that the wine in question was one of her favorites and was probably going to impress his wife with a bottle. Dorothy wasn't worried; there were several thousand back on their home colony in addition to the eight cases stashed aboard the shuttle. She was the one who had purposely let it slip to selected press members that the last case was being sent to Earth awaiting the arrival of the Foreign Minister and her family.

"Copy that tower. We'll see what we can do. And between you and me tower, that Zinfandel goes well with a fish or chicken dinner.", chuckled Dorothy.

"Thanks for the hint, Four Niner Seven. I'll be sure to remember that."

"I bet you will tower, MeadowAir Four Niner Seven switching frequencies to MeadowAir Common. Have a nice day tower. Shuttle Four Niner Seven out."

Dorothy waited for the Tower Chief to cut his communications before switching to an unused and scrambled Preventor frequency that Heero and Zechs had created for situations such as these. Contacting Lady Une, Dorothy let the Preventor Head know that they were on the ground and headed towards the hanger.

"Copy that Sandrock One Bravo, keep it coming. So far no press personnel have appeared. If we're lucky we will pull this off.", came the soft voice of Lady Une.

"Yes, I agree. Do we have a back-up plan if those nosy bastards."

"Dorothy, you know me better than that. Of course we have a back-up plan."

_0805 AM Sniper Team One. Roof of Main Terminal._

Devon and his snipers listened in on the conversation between Dorothy Catalonia-Winner and Lady Une while keeping an eye out for possible attacks. At the moment, the Preventor agent had his eye to the scope of his binoculars and was slowly letting his gaze slide over the area. Once he was assured that it was clear, he returned his gaze to the gaily painted shuttle taxing to the Winner subsidiary hanger and sighed.

"That shuttle just screams for attention doesn't it boss?", asked Devon's bearded Australian spotter.

"Yes it does. That is too bright for anyone. That pink is almost overpowering.", answered Devon.

"Oh shut up boss. You're just jealous that they don't have enough of those dull colors you like so much.", came the chuckling voice of the team two shooter, Preventer Goddess, over his radio headset.

Several other laughs and snickers came over the tactical radios from just about every one of his snipers and Devon felt a sense of embarrassment and a sense of pride in the teamwork displayed by his team. Laughing along with his team and letting some of the tension fade away, Devon was brought back to reality when his sniper gasped.

"Woah baby, what in the hell is that being towed out of that hanger."

Devon looked over in the direction his spotter was indicating and saw what Silvermouse was talking about. Stifling the sense of joy that trembled through him so that his spotter couldn't detect anything that would entail questions he didn't want to answer, Devon studied the long white shape that was being towed out of the Vigilante Aerial Photography hanger.

**_"That's MY baby, Silvermouse. My Wildstar II!!', _**_crowed __Devon__ mentally as he returned his glance back to the shuttle and the hanger it was heading for. _

The object in question was an airplane. However, it didn't look like none of the modern day airplanes that his snipers were used to. From its needlepoint nose to its towering vertical stabilizer with its grey, black, and white graphic of a wolf glistening in the early-morning sun, the plane gave off the impression that it was fast and would be a fast ride for its pilot.

With one last grin, Devon turned his attention back to the shuttle now turning onto the taxiway to the Meadow Air Hanger. The binoculars were lingering there when Preventor Silvermouse spoke up.

"Boss, we got a problem. Team Six Bravo has spotted what could be a member of the press and the subject in question is angling in on the objectives hanger."

"Dammit! I hoped that the secrecy around this was enough to keep the press away. How in the hell did he manage to find out about this?"

"I don't know but we need to do something."

"I know. I'm on it.", cursed Devon as he dropped the binoculars and lowered his head to the rifle scope.

Activating his communications link, Devon got in touch with Team Six and Lady Une.

"Team Six Bravo, this is Team One Alpha. If that reporter sets up a tripod take it out then destroy the camera."

"Copy that, leader. It looks like he might have a live hook up though. Team Six Alpha is trying to find out what network he is with through the scope.", came the voice of Preventor Gladius.

"Disregard, I'll assign somebody else to do it. What is the contact wearing so that plainclothes personnel can affect an arrest and hustle this annoying fly outta here before he spoils everything. "

"Tan pants, black button down shirt, and cheesy ball cap with the logo of one of the tabloids on it. The suspect stands about five foot ten and a half inches tall, weighs in at probably two hundred pounds and is carrying an expensive camera in his hand. His camera bag is hanging off his left shoulder. It's a bright green back with black stripes and no logo.", came the description from Gladius.

Devon nodded and listened in as his other sniper teams called in to say that they had no visual contact on the person in question. With each call, Devon was getting grimmer. Finally, the team three spotter (Team Three Bravo) called back and said that he and his shooter (Team Three Alpha) had the person in sight.

"About damn time somebody spotted this pimple on the abscess. Good job Raptor, I knew they named you right when they called you Raptor. Keep him in site and let me know when the security people get there. I'll inform the boss to switch to Plan B.", stated Devon.

He was about to inform Lady Une of his recommendation when it became a moot point. His assistant team leader pointed out that he had monitored the communications link between Une and the shuttle. Une had heard the conversation and after dispatching some guards, had ordered the shuttle pilot to head for one of the back-up hangers.

Devon sighed and waited for Eagle to continue.

"I also spotted the subjects vehicle. It is in one of the back parking lots. Has a camouflaged sat dish on its roof and a driver. I can't get a shot off to damage the satellite. It's out of my range. Preventor Sentinel has a better angle on it but I don't think he can get the dish.", voiced Eag as he shifted the rifle against his shoulder to follow the action.

"Eagle's right, boss, I can't hit the dish. I have a good angle on the tires though, just in case the person in the driver's seat starts to move.", came the voice of Team Four Alpha.

"Okay. I authorize a disabling shot on two of the tires if that van starts to move. Make sure you aren't spotted when you fire. I'll take the dish out."

Preventor Swordfish (Team Four Bravo) copied for his shooter and waited. Devon listened as Preventor Goddess told him that security had nabbed the cameraman. He also heard the two reports as Preventor Sentinel took out the tires on the media van_. _Taking his time, Devon sighted on the barely visible dish sitting on top of the van in a little cupola.

"Give me the range and wind, Silvermouse."

"I gotcha boss; range to target 1798 yards. Wind is calm. Take the shot when ready.", came the mechanical voice of Silvermouse as he shifted to his spotter role.

As soon as the last syllable was out of his spotter's mouth, Devon fired. He watched as the single fifty caliber armour piercing round sped true and struck its target with pinpoint accuracy. Through his scope, he watched as the dish shattered into small pieces and fell to the ground. Shifting his scope to the link up cable, he fired again and sheared the cable in a fantastic display of sparks.

_0807 AM Disguised Winner Family VIP Private Shuttle._

While the lone press member was being 'discouraged, Quatre Winner and his co-pilot were getting the word about the initiation of the backup plan. Cursing a blue streak that would have the members of the board of the Winner Corporation, Pilot 04 brought the shuttle to a stop then re-engaged the nose wheel steering and pointed the shuttle back towards the runway while Dorothy switched frequencies and told the tower what they were doing before returning to Lady Une's frequency. Flipping on the cabin intercom system to announce to the couples in the back what was going on.

"Ms Relena, Ms Noin we're changing our destination. Instead of the hanger we were headed for, we'll be parking the shuttle and unloading in a hanger belonging to a contact of one the Preventor snipers.", stated Dorothy before cutting the intercom to concentrate on helping guide the shuttle.

Heero and Zechs looked at each other and an unspoken conversation went on between them. When it was over, the younger man unstrapped the baby boy from his window seat and handed him off to his wife before closing the window shades to keep anyone outside from getting a good look through the non-tinted window. When he returned to his seat, Heero noticed that his one-time opponent turned brother-in-law had done the same to the shuttle windows on the opposite side of the cabin. Before anything could be said, Quatre came over the intercom system.

"We're entering the alternate hanger now and should be stopping and shutting down within the next couple of minutes. Lady Une has a helicopter waiting to ferry you to the Noventa Manor where Baroness Noventa invites you to a welcome home and congratulatory breakfast. Dorothy, Jamal, and I will join you there a little later while you ride with Vice Foreign Minister Noventa in the helicopter. All the necessary security measures are already in place. Some of the Preventor snipers from the airport will be there as well."

Heero picked up the handset that connected him to the cockpit and asked Quatre to have the Preventor Sniper Team Leader at the airport join them for breakfast.

"I'll pass it along to Lady Une and she'll let us know before we leave the airport to head or the manor.", answered Quatre.

Heero nodded and then listened as the shuttle's engines spooled down and the shuttle door was opened by the ground personnel. Unstrapping himself from the seat, the dark haired Preventor turned to his blonde wife and extended his hand. She accepted and together they followed the man with the long platinum blonde hair and his dark-haired wife. At the foot of the steps to the shuttle, both couples turned to the cockpit where their two blonde pilots waved from the open cockpit window. The quartet waved back and then made their way over to where the business helicopter waited with its rotors slowly turning. Climbing into the spacious cabin, Heero, Relena, Miliardo, and Lucrezia sat at opposite ends of the rotary aircraft. Each couple was holding hands and looking out the window. Within seconds of the helicopter's cabin closing, the aircraft was rolling out of the hanger to its takeoff point. When the single pilot finished his checklist, he increased power to his engine and started pulling up on his collective control to lift the chopper into a hover before adding more power and pushing his cyclic control forward to get the bird moving on its trip to the Noventa Manor and the breakfast that awaited there.

Five minutes into the flight, Sylvia Noventa entered the cabin and walked over to her immediate supervisor.

"Welcome home Relena. I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon."

Relena nodded and thanked Sylvia before Sylvia turned to the new Peacecraft Princess and reiterating her words of welcome. When Noin returned them Sylvia start to explain where they were headed and why. Ten minutes later, the helicopter landed on the lawn of Noventa Manor. Dressed in sundresses, Relena and Noin climbed down from the helicopter cabin with the help of some of the private Noventa family guards. Sylvia followed while Heero and Miliardo brought up the rear.

Leaving the three women to talk among themselves, the two men donned sunglasses and looked around at the security arrangements. Satisfied at what they saw, they followed the women into the house. Inside the door, Zechs stopped and grinned as he saw the loyal Peacecraft family retainer.

Pagan was standing in the entryway receiving hugs from both Relena and Lucrezia. For one who hadn't known Pagan, his expressionless face could be taken as a sign of indifference. But for Prince Miliardo Peacecraft, heir primus of the venerated pacifist Peacecraft Monarchy, those expressions were like the well worn pages of a favorite book. The slight crinkle at the end of the elderly butler's eyes told Zechs that the older man was ecstatic to have the two young adults he saw as his legacy back home.

"Welcome home your highness. I do hope that your honeymoon was as enjoyable for you as it was for the princess. Your luggage should be arriving at the palace about now. By the time we return, the rest of the family servants should have everything unpacked and placed in its proper location.", came the stately cultured voice of Pagan.

"Thank you Pagan for everything you have done. Will you be joining us for breakfast?"

"On no highness, I have too many other things to do. Besides sire, it wouldn't be proper. I shall leave you in the hands of Baroness Noventa's butler Thomas. I must return to the palace at once. I still have to have the guest house cleaned and prepared for her highness Princess Relena and her husband. The last of their furniture is being moved from the main palace today. Thank you and enjoy your welcome home breakfast. Prince Miliardo."

Zechs turned to his new brother in law and saw the hidden yet worried smile that resided on his face for an instant as he nodded at the older man and watched him exit the entryway with his proud and determined stride. Zechs knew, as did Heero, that Pagan probably wasn't going to be around long enough to see the next generation of Peacecrafts brought into this peaceful world that their ancestors help form. Miliardo knew how bad Pagan's death would hurt his sister since of the two siblings; she was the one who spent the most time with the older man. Granted, Noin would be hurt as well, but she wouldn't be as hurt by it as Relena will. Zechs only prayed that when it became time for Pagan to return home, Heero would be there as Relena's solid rock to help her get over the loss of the person closet to her.

_"Miliardo Peacecraft!!! Are You And Heero Going To Stand There All Day With The Idiotic Looks On Your Faces? Or Are You Going To Reward Us With Your Presence For Breakfast? Relena And I Are Hungry!! Get In Here Now!!!", came the strident voice of Princess Lucrezia Noin-Peacecraft_

_ "You Better Get In Here As Well, Heero. Relena Is Threatening To Confine You To The Couch for Your First Night Back Home!"_

The two men looked at each other and let their thoughts about the aged butler that had just left be pushed to the back of their minds. Their wives were waiting for them in the dining room where the exquisite smells of breakfast enticed them and their stomach's grumbled in response. With quick nods of agreement to each other, the two men-one platinum blonde and one dark-haired- entered the dining room. Only to be met by a shower of napkins thrown at them by their beloved.

Zechs looked at Heero. Heero looked at Zechs. And the same thought flashed through their minds.

**_ "Now I am truly once and forever, home."_**

****

****

And that, ladies and gents, is the end of 'Sylvia's Solitary Soldier' Chapter Two. As always, I want to thank my friends, Nova, C. Queen., The Major, and The Black Rose for all of your support. I also want to thank my Firearms Technical Advisor: StrikeEagle-1 of the #Wing-Commander mIRC channel on the server [Eag, put that cuppa java down!!! You drink too much as it isJ]. In addition to the Mighty Strike Eagle-1, I want to give honorable mention to some of the others on channel: 'Thanks for letting me base the members of Preventor Sniper Team Delta of off you guys. Y'all will have to figure out who is who. If ya want the list, catch up with me on channel. Hehehe!!!!!

In the next chapter, I plan to jump a few months ahead and start getting down to the brass tacks. Some of the events that were mentioned in this chapter will have come and gone. I will start to concentrate more on the Tanisius Family and some of the more intricate dancing around between Devon and Sylvia. There is a possibility that there will be some action in Chapter Three. I will also introduce you to Devon's Wildstar (contrary to what you are thinking. The Gundam's won't make an appearance till later in this story.) I may also touch on the Wildstar Gundam and its Sigma System. If ya wanna find out, ya gotta tune in to (and possibly Blissful Ignorance) to find out.

Upcoming, 'The Run' Chapter Two is haunting me in my sleep and wanting to be completed, as are a couple of other stories. However, I am going to fulfill a promise I made to one of my fans. I promised her that I would work on finishing the Eight Chapter of Setsuna's Sun Prince and all my stories will be put on hold till I finish it. Also upcoming, there is a very good possibility that an 'Area 88' fic could be percolating in my brain. If you are interested in me writing a fanfic for Shin Kazama and the rest of the Area 88 crew, let me know. I have seen both the 3 OVA Movies (years ago) and the 12 TV eps (came out this year) and will try and combine the two into a workable plot. To combine the two in a reasonable way, I'll have to go off the top of my head for stuff from the OVA's (Unless I can find somebody to tell me a site where I can download and burn the three OVA movies from. I would be eternally grateful). I will also have to go by the TV eps which I have already downloaded, burned, and am sharing with some friends.

Once again, thanks for all the support from you readers (although some of you don't like to review. Oh well.) . Chapter Three should be up soon, depending on how things go.

Knightewolfe is outta here for now. Peace out!!!

**_Knightewolfe's Secret Lair_**

**_June/July 2004_**

**__**


	4. Things Start to Fall Apart

And the story continues.

Disclaimer: Reread first Chapter.

_**Sylvia's Solitary Soldier**_

**_Chapter 3: Things Start to Fall Apart._**

_A.C. 201_

Preventor Headquarters – Secondary Briefing Room.

It was time for the bimonthly department head meeting and Devon was attending as one of the representatives of the Preventor Sniper Division. He wasn't happy about it though. This was one of the few meetings that Foreign Minister Yuy and Vice Foreign Minister Noventa sat in on. Devon had been working on a case in his office when he got the very last minute call from the person second in charge of the sniper division ninety seconds before the meeting was supposed to start. Glancing into the foyer of the Team Leader offices, he grabbed the first person he saw. It just happened to be Devon's luck that the Gamma Team Leader, Preventor Cobra, was just entering her office after a hand to hand combat workout with Beta Team Leader Preventor Firebird.

Not taking into account Cobra's present attire (nearly skintight workout bodysuit), Devon had bent down, picked the female agent up, and slung her across his shoulders then exited the sniper building and sprinting across the base to the main building. Once inside the main building, Devon and the vehemently protesting Cobra (she was cussing him out in terms he wouldn't translate for anyone) ran to catch one of the express elevators to the floor where the briefing was being held on. When he came sliding into the room carrying Cobra over his shoulders (damn slick floors), the first person he ran into – literally—was the VFM. All three fell to the floor with Devon as the filling in the sandwich. Everyone was so stunned by the sudden appearance of the sniper representatives, the collision, and the attire of Preventor Cobra that all conversation in the room stopped and all attention was directed at the trio sprawled ungainly on the floor. Somebody from one of the Photography Departments subdivisions recovered first and snapped a picture with a camera he happened to be demonstrating to Preventor Dragon. Devon knew that the photo was going to be developed and circulating around Preventor Headquarters by the afternoon of the next day.

Now sitting in his seat at the far end of the conference table, Devon listened as the different department representatives updated Commander Une on the efficiency of their respective departments. At the moment it was the representative from the financial departments' turn and he was speaking in terms that Devon only had a passing understanding of. Yawning, the young sniper ignored the kick from Preventor Cobra. After their collision with the vice foreign minister and a hasty explanation of her present attire, Une had allowed the semi-scantily clad sniper (who was built like a supermodel with an attitude; much to the delight of some of the other single men in attendance) to return to the sniper annex and change into appropriate attire. Once the female sniper had left the room to go change; Une had given Devon one of her infamous looks that promised retribution. In the three hours since her return, Cobra had managed to kick Devon at least once during each presentation. So far he was happy she was doing so, otherwise he would had nodded off twenty minutes after the meeting had restarted.

At the far end of the table, Sylvia was trying to pay attention to the person speaking. However, no matter how hard she fought it, her attention kept drifting back to the dark skinned Preventor with the bored look on his face three seats down from the Preventor Head. Dressed in a prim subdued yellow business suit, Sylvia had already given her report to the assembled crowd and had been pleased when Relena had nodded in understanding.

Dusting another speck off her jacket, Sylvia tuned back in and silently wished that the financial department representative hurry up. After the financial report, there were two more divisions before Devon would update the executive staff on the workings of the Sniper Division. Letting the droning voice of the financial departments' rep lull her into a sense of semi-relaxation, Sylvia leaned back in her chair and allowed her mind to run away with the images her libido were painting of her and Devon (she had stopped calling him Agent Tanisius months ago). Unknown to the young vice foreign minister, she was under observation from the two people at the opposite end of the table.

It had been four months since Relena Peacecraft-Yuy and her brother had returned from their separate honeymoons off planet. In the intervening time, she had found more reasons to love her husband. Sitting in her executive chair at the far end of the table and suppressing the urge to straighten the collar of her soft pink business suit for the umpteenth time, Relena let her eyes rove over the gathered personages. Catching sight of, and recognizing, the dreamy and far away look on her number two's face, Relena covertly checked to see who the look was unconsciously directed at. Before she could do anything, the sound of a throat being cleared echoed from the older woman at her side. At the same time, Relena felt a sudden pain in her ribs. Whipping her head around and covering her mouth to catch the explosive exhalation of air that burst forth, Relena glared at Anne Une. Before she could say anything, Une lifted her hand and blocked the side of her mouth from everyone's vision and muttered something to Relena in a low tone of voice. Not hearing it the first time, the Foreign Minister of the Earth Sphere United Nations leaned over to catch the words as Une repeated them.

"Is it me or is Sylvia looking at Agent Tanisius with love in her eyes?", asked Une.

Relena chuckled quietly and shifted her gaze towards the man sitting three seats down from Anne. Observing the young man for a few minutes, Relena answered Une with a question of her own.

"And is it me or does Agent Tanisius not notice the look?"

The two women laughed quietly together before returning their attention to the representative from the financial department as he finished up his report (much to everyone's relief). After answering a few questions, Une called for a short coffee break. Rising from her seat she headed towards her office. Relena watched as Une stood up and headed for her office as everyone else at the table converged on the small table at the back of the conference room where coffee, tea, and freshly made pastries sat on silver platters with lace doilies. Taking a moment to stretch before getting up, the foreign minister saw her deputy rise and make an indirect line for the Preventor she had been watching. Deciding to get the insider information, Relena called Sylvia and asked the VFM to join her in Lady Une's office. She chuckled as Sylvia rewarded her with a quick glare before agreeing to it. Standing up and walking towards the door at the far end of the room, Relena glanced behind her and saw that Sylvia was following, albeit very reluctantly.

Sylvia was miffed. She had planned to spend the break trying to weasel up the courage to invite the sniper for dinner sometime this week to get to know him a bit better. However, her superior had put the kibosh on that plan by asking her to join Lady Une and herself in the formers' office.

_"Dammit! Relena what the hell do you want to talk about this time?",_ fumed Sylvia as she entered the office a few steps behind Relena.

Stepping into the room, VFM Noventa saw that her superior was preparing a cup of tea from Lady Une's personal stash. In the background, she could hear water running in the lavatory and correctly guessed that the Preventors commander was freshening up.

"Sit down Sylvia, sit down. We haven't gotten to talk much since my return. We've both been quite busy since then.", stated Relena as she took a sip of her tea and crossed her legs.

Sylvia sat down and accepted the second cup before replying.

"Yes Foreign Minister Yuy. Since you've returned from your honeymoon, things have gotten very hectic. They started the week you returned. Luckily, by the time you had returned to your post the week after, certain events had been brought to a conclusion."

"Relena."

"Hmm?"

"Call me Relena since the three of us are the only one's here Sylvia. Since we're behind closed doors for now, we can drop the formalities."

"Okay."

Relena took another sip from her teacup as she observed her second in charge. Hearing the near silent castors from Lady Une's chair as the older woman took a seat, she looked over at the desk. When she did, something new caught her eye. On Lady Une's desk was a figurine of what Relena took to be a tigress teaching her cub (another female guessed Relena) how to hunt. In the background of the statue, an image of what the foreign minister took to be the cub's father stood watching over his mate and child from a distance. Relena looked closer at the statue and saw that there was another figure in the tree above the tigress and cub. Curious about the piece, she asked Lady Une about it.

"Oh this, I got it from Agent Tanisius as a birthday gift. Devon saw this statue while he was on assignment to Africa once and it reminded him of Marimaia and me. From his explanation, I gather that I am the tigress and Marimaia is the cub and that I am teaching her what I know."

"It suits you. I am curious about the image in the background though?" stated Relena as she picked up the sculpture while keeping an eye on a very interested Sylvia Noventa.

"I take it that the male tiger in the background is supposed to signify his Excellency, Treize. I was touched when I saw that."

Both Relena and Sylvia nodded as the other woman came over and studied the sculpture. Sylvia was astonished by the detail and lifelikeness that the sculpture had brought to the piece. To her, it almost seemed that the object was alive. Running her hand reverently over the tree that the tigress and cub that signified Anne and her daughter, Sylvia felt an inconsistency.

"Relena, let me see that for a moment?", she asked.

"Hmmm? Oh, okay.", stated Relena as Une looked on.

Sylvia accepted the sculpture and ran her hand over the tree branch again. Feeling the inconsistency again, the VFM took a closer look at the statue.

"Lady Une, did you know that there is another figure here?"

"Really? Let me see."

Sylvia handed the sculpture back to Relena who took it and examined it closer. She gave an exclamation when she found the other figure

"There is another cat in the tree, Anne. It looks like it is watching over both the tigress and the cub. I can't tell what kind of cat it is but it is there."

Relena handed the piece to Anne. Anne reached into her desk drawer as she accepted the piece and rummaged around for her glasses. Putting them on, she studied the statue. Satisfied, after a short examination, she put the statue down and took off her glasses.

"Yes, there is another cat figure there. I can't tell for sure but it looks to be a black panther. I don't know who or what it signifies.", stated Une as she returned the statue to her desk.

Both Relena and Lady Une heard the near silent gasp coming from the other woman in the room but neither could comment on it before there was a knock on the door.

"Commander Une, Foreign Minister Yuy, Vice Foreign Minister Noventa; the others are ready to continue.", came the voice of one of the meetings' participants.

"Damn!", exclaimed Relena to the confusion of Lady Une and Sylvia.

"Okay, we'll be right there. Give us a minute.", stated Une as she looked at Relena.

The foreign minister waved off the look and indicated that she'd talk to Anne about it later. Finishing her tea, Relena put her cup on the end table and headed for the door.

In the conference room, Devon was retaking his seat as he conversed with his fellow sniper.

"Cobra, I know that you could probably handle the fifty but you wouldn't be used to it and your accuracy would be affected. Unlike the .308 you are already used to, the .50 is a beast. Before I'd feel confident in your use of the fifty, I'd have to train you in its use and I'd have to be sure you wouldn't hurt yourself from its recoil.", stated Devon as he leaned back in his chair.

Awww come on Tabris. You know that I am the best Preventor sniper after you and Eagle. Why won't you let me take the fifty on the winter environment exercise in Siberia that my team will be undertaking next month?", complained Cobra.

"Look Rachel, Commander Une put me in charge of the four .50 caliber sniper rifles that the Preventors have here at headquarters. That means that I'm the one who chooses who gets to learn how to shoot the light fifty and who doesn't. In addition to that, I'm the person who has to keep those four rifles in immaculate condition. So if I let you requisition one for the Winter SnipeEx and it comes back in bad shape, guess who gets the blame? Me. And I really don't want to be blamed for something I didn't do.", stated Devon brusquely

Catching the downcast look on Preventor Cobra's face and hating the fact that he always had to be a knight in shining armor, Devon softened a bit and told his fellow sniper the real reason he wasn't about to let her team take one of the light fifties out.

"Cobra, the main reason I'm not letting Delta Team take one of the big bore rifles out is that because I haven't had the chance to winterize one of them, not because I have anything against you. I want all the team leaders to get qualified on the .50 cal, its just at the moment, as I am the only Preventor sniper .50 cal. sniper rifle qualified AND I have cases of my own ammunition; I don't have much time to get the three of you to the range to qualify. Maybe next time I will have all four winterized and maybe you'll be qualified to the point where I feel safe with letting you use it in an exercise."

Preventor Cobra nodded much to Devon's relief and the two snipers turned their attention to the door where the foreign minister, the VFM, and the Preventor Head entered the room to retake their seats and resume the meeting. Devon sighed as he realized that he had at least two more hours of listening to the other representatives before it became time for him to-with Cobra's help- give his report on his division. Settling in for what he figured was going to be a boring two hours; Devon resigned himself to his fate, not noticing the looks from Noventa, Peacecraft-Yuy, and Lady Une. Unfortunately, Preventor Cobra caught the looks and allowed herself a smug smile.

Four hours later, just as the meeting was starting to wrap up, Devon's communicator went off with a strident tone that caught everyone's attention. He cussed himself out for not remembering to enable the silent feature before coming to this meeting. With a sheepish look at his glaring commander, the calm foreign minister, and the curious vice foreign minister _-"curious?"-_ Devon checked the display to see who was calling. Recognizing the number, he suppressed a shiver and violently squelched the thoughts rampaging through his head. Making sure to not activate his vid screen, Devon answered the communicator.

"Yes?"

"We have a problem Zero Seven. Things have advanced far too quickly for my liking. The enemy has advanced their plans.", came the voice of Director Z speaking in one of their native languages.

"I see, I can't talk now; In the midst of a meeting. Where are you?", replied Devon in the same language.

"Earth, at the Brussels Shuttleport. We need to talk."

Devon lifted an eyebrow in surprise at the simple exclamation. Shifting his gaze to the end of the table where Une, Yuy, and Noventa sat, he saw that they didn't understand the language that he was speaking.

_**"That's good. Maybe I can keep this between him and I for now.",** thought Devon as he rapidly ran through several plans in his mind._

Seizing upon the one plan that would allow him and the director to communicate privately, Devon told Director Z where to meet him.

"Vigilante lug fotos sien jou daar.", stated Devon while praying that his former guardian understood Afrikaans.

"Hmmm? Can you repeat that please?", answered the director in the same language but with some hesitation.

Devon mentally slapped his forehead.

"Vigilante lug-fotografie, sien jou daar.", repeated Devon with a slight growl to indicate his displeasure.

It took a moment but after Devon repeated himself with an emphasis on the first word, the director understood what he was saying.

"Ahh, Vigilante lug-fotografie, sien jou daar. I understand now.", answered the older man; understanding clear in his voice.

"Meet me at the hanger. I'll be there in ten minutes. Do everything the hanger boss tells you.", stated Devon before disconnecting.

Turning his attention to his boss, Devon saw the slight twitch in her forehead that signified that Lady Une was not happy with the interruption.

"Commander I apologize. One of my contacts has just come up with some new information about a case I'm working on."

"Oh, really? Why don't you send one of your subordinates in your place? We are not finished with this meeting.", stated Une in her cold 'Colonel Une of OZ' voice.

The temperature in the room dropped at least thirty degrees or so it felt like to Devon. Suppressing a shiver, he answered.

"I would send a subordinate, ma'am, but my informant doesn't trust anyone but me with the information he brings. I need to see him now. Otherwise I may never solve this case."

Une was about to deny Devon's request when he got some help from an unexpected direction.

"Let him go talk to his informant, Lady Une. If he doesn't go now, he may never solve the case and it could rear up in the future and cause problems for the Earth Sphere.", came the mellow voice of Sylvia Noventa at the far end of the table.

Next to Une, Relena stiffened. She had been about to agree with Anne on the point that Agent Tanisius could stay and finish the meeting while his contact waited. What was an extra twenty minutes? Now with her deputy speaking up for the agent in question, Relena had no choice but to agree with the VFM lest it be seen that she and the deputy she had pushed so hard to get elected and appointed to her present position disagreed. Quashing the flash of irritation that flared up, Relena nodded once with her mouth closed to allow the agent to handle his business.

Grinding her teeth together, Une felt trapped between a rock and a hard place. If she pushed the issue and ordered Preventor Tabris to stay, she would be seen as disobeying a request (actually an order) from the Foreign Ministry (and that never is a good thing). If she allowed him to go, Une would be seen as following her unspoken orders. But it would seem to her that she was giving the agent more leeway than she gave any of the others (with some notable exceptions). Deciding to take the middle ground, Anne ordered Devon to go talk to his informant and get the information, but she wanted a full report on the contact by the end of the next day. Devon gritted his own teeth and promised that the report would be there.

Once the agent left the conference room, Une lifted a finger and signaled for the person at the head of the table to wait before finishing up his closing remarks. When the representative nodded his understanding, the head of Preventors lowered the same finger and pressed a button on the arm rest of her chair.

"Intelligence Section, Yuy here.", came the laconic and emotionless voice of Relena's husband.

_**"Must be either an audit or a royal inspection, he usually answers the phone with his name when he is on duty.",** thought Une as she steepled her hands in front of her face. (A.N. Shades of Ikari Gendo again.)_

"I have an important assignment for one of your staff."

"Yes."

"Do you have an agent in your section that can follow a certain individual?"

"Yes."

"Good. I need somebody to follow Preventor Tabris. Use someone who has no qualms about tailing a fellow Preventor."

"I understand. I have the right person in mind."

"Good, whoever it is may catch up with Tabris as he exits the building to meet with an informant."

"Mission: Accepted."

Une nodded. With that one phrase, she knew who the Perfect Soldier was going to assign the task. With a nod she knew he couldn't see, Une started to close the channel.

"Commander Une?"

"Yes?"

"Tell my wife I love her and will see her at home."

Une said that she would and cut the connection. Once she was sure that the connection was closed, she turned to the foreign minister and told her what her husband had said.

"Thank you Commander Une. I greatly appreciate that.", replied Relena before signaling to the rep at the other end of the table to finish up so that the meeting could be adjourned.

Entranced in the repartee at the far end of the table, no one noticed when the VFM at the opposite end gritted her teeth and glared at her superior and the commander. No one that is, except for the remaining sniper at the table.

Preventor Cobra - whose real name was Rachel - hid a frown as she saw the VFM try to hide the evil look she was casting towards Foreign Minister Yuy and Commander Une. Sighing to herself, the agent resigned herself to the fact that the sniper division was again going to be inundated with calls from many young ladies of society about the single sniper. The first time this had happened was after he had been featured in a popular magazine as one of the 'Most Eligible Preventor Bachelors and Bachelorettes' a year or so ago. Cobra remembered that issue because the three remaining single Preventor Section heads – Yuy, Barton, and Chang - were prominently featured. Cobra and her fellow female Preventor sniper, Firebird (whose real name was Triana Sylfaen) had also been featured although at the time they both had significant others who weren't too happy to see the article.

_**"And the publishers had to put us on the same page as, then Vice Foreign Minister Peacecraft. Only good thing about that was that the commander refused to allow the magazine editors to use our real names.",** thought Cobra as she gathered up the Sniper Division paperwork Devon had oh so graciously left her._

Rising from her seat, Cobra did a series of catlike stretches. Noticing the numerous admiring glances she received from her fellow agents (both men and women), the newly single sniper picked up her briefcase and headed down to where the Vice Foreign Minister was still frowning. Three seats away from Sylvia, Cobra stopped and reached for a pen and a piece of paper. Using the conference table, she jotted something down on the sheet and returned her pen to her pocket. Continuing in the VFM's direction, Preventor Cobra used her 20/10 eyesight (one of the best in the Sniper Division) and spotted a small divot in the carpet to help her with her spur of the moment plan.

_"Devon, I hope to whatever deities you hold dear that you don't muck up this chance to be happy!."_

Sylvia Noventa was rising from her seat and commenting to one of her aides when she suddenly found herself falling back towards the seat she had just vacated.

"What the……..oof!", exclaimed Sylvia as she struggled to get untangled from the person half sitting in her lap and half kneeling on the floor.

"Excuse me Vice Foreign Minister Noventa. I'm sooo clumsy. I'm sorry. I'm sooo sorry!", came a blubbering female voice.

Sylvia recognized the voice as the female sniper that Devon had been carrying when he had collided with her at the beginning of the meeting.

"That's okay. Preventor…..Cobra wasn't it?", answered Sylvia as she turned scarlet.

"Are you okay Vice Foreign Minister Noventa?", asked Relena from the far side of the table.

The VFM nodded at the foreign minister and worked her way to her feet. As she did, something slid off of her lap and onto the floor. Seeing that it was a folded piece of paper she picked it up and opened it. The only thing that was written in the middle of the sheet was a two line address. Cutting a glance at Preventor Cobra; Sylvia saw an eye twitch that could masquerade as a wink. Before she could say anything, the agent murmured something in her ear that made her blush even more.

_"I caught you looking at Devon and I saw the look on your face when Une assigned Yuy to follow him. It tells me that you either have a crush on him or you are falling in love with him. That's his address, but you didn't get it from me."_

Relieved that Cobra didn't use the other 'L' word (lust, if you are curious), Sylvia nodded and watched as Preventor Cobra straightened her skirt and picked up the Sniper Division notes Devon had brought before leaving the conference room. When the other sniper had left, Sylvia turned to her aides and indicated she was ready to go.

As the meeting broke up several floors above and behind him, Devon was driving his jeep to the rendezvous with his so called 'informant'. Upon leaving the building and getting outside the gate, Devon had called his aerial photography office and told the ground crew to get the aircraft ready for a flight and to be on the lookout for somebody arriving and looking for him. The person in the office had acknowledged him then informed Devon that his 'guest' had already arrived and was in the process of suiting up and being briefed. Thanking the man, Devon had hung up then increased his speed. Unknown to the driver of the jeep, he had a tail. Three car lengths behind Devon's vehicle was Heero Yuy on one of the nondescript Preventor motorcycles.

Even with the heads up from Une, Heero almost missed the other agent. By the time he had gotten to the garage and signed out the motorcycle, Tanisius had already pulled out of the garage and was headed for the front gate. Once through the gate, Heero watched as his targets' jeep made a left turn and accelerated till it was almost out of sight. It had taken all of his skills for Heero to get in the position he presently occupied. Checking his watch, Heero observed that it had taken nearly twenty-five minutes to get here. Wondering where Tanisius was meeting his informant, Heero reminded himself to keep far enough back so that his target wouldn't spot him.

While this was going on, across town the youngest of the Tanisius brood was strolling though a quiet park near the Brussels office of his family's business. Morgan had been sitting in on a meeting between his elder sister and some of the members of the Board of Directors. At first he had been intrigued at the way Adrienne was handling the hostile men and women, then he had gotten bored and started fighting to stay awake. When Adrienne called for a short break, Morgan knew that she had caught his inattention. Once the others had filed out of the conference room, the elder Tanisius had turned to her seventeen year old brother and suggested he go ahead and leave her to handle the rest of the meeting.

"I know you're having a hard time staying awake Morgan so why don't you go ahead and take a walk and I'll take care of the rest of this meeting and then join you for lunch at one of the local restaurants.", stated Adrienne.

"But Adrienne I'm fine. I can deal with what is going on. I'm not bored at all.", protested Morgan.

"Morgan, go ahead and leave. The meeting is going to only get longer and even more boring. I already know what needs to be done; I just want to hear what they say. Besides, dad already told me to let you leave early. I can handle it, so go ahead. I'll take care of everything."

Morgan had protested a little bit more but ultimately acquiesced to his elder sister. Nodding in agreement, he had risen from his chair and headed out the door. Just before exiting the room completely, the teenager had cast one look back at his twenty-five year old sister and saw her calmly screwing a suppressor onto one of the small pocket pistols she had carried into the meeting. He then understood the main reason why Adrienne had wanted him to go ahead and leave. Adrienne hadn't wanted him to witness how she was going to take care of the problem that had cropped up. One of the board members was going to learn the ultimate price for embezzling money from Tanisius Security Technologies LTD when the vice president ended the meeting.

Taking a deep breath, Morgan took off the jacket to his black business suit and slung it over his shoulder as he strolled through the park enjoying the fresh, unprocessed air of Earth. This was only his second visit to Earth and the first time he had actually gotten time to see the sites. Adrienne had promised him that she would take him around the world visiting different cities and shopping once her main business on Earth was concluded.

_**"At least we will get to hang out this weekend since there isn't any special events planned that we would have to attend.", **thought Morgan_

As Morgan strolled through the park, he didn't notice the attention he was getting from a group of five girls sitting under a tree off to his left.

Fifteen-year-old Marimaia Khushrenada grumbled as her four friends chattered incessantly as they ate their lunch. As students at Saint Gabriel's Academy, the five had come to the park with their class on one of the rare field trips away from campus. The Foreign Minister—a Saint Gabriel's alumnus – had invited several students to sit in on a meeting with the ruling body of the ESUN. Marimaia and her friends had been some of the students selected due to their grades and chosen fields of study.

Standing average height with her mid-length vibrant red hair and her inherited 'Khushrenada Split' eyebrows, Marimaia was a blooming beauty. Already, the teenager had caught the attention of many of her male classmates as well as some of the younger scions of the Romafeller nobility. Marimaia, despite her title Duchess Khushrenada, didn't much care about what was being said of her by the nouveau nobility. Right now, she was just a simple high school student enjoying a field trip with friends. Unfortunately, her friends were talking more about boys than about their upcoming visitation to the Earth Sphere United Nations halls of power.

"Sooo Theresa, what's the deal with this rumor I hear about you and Clayton Pierce? It seems that somebody caught you and Clayton studying mouth to mouth in the back of the gym after school the other day.", stated Jasmine Adjani, the dusky-skinned girl sitting to Marimaia's right.

"There is absolutely no truth to that rumor, Jasmine! I wouldn't want to study anything with that egotistical jerk. Much less CPR.", replied Theresa Blackmon as she gave her long dark hair a toss and settled it over her shoulder

"Yeah right, he may be egotistical but his family is one of the richest on Earth. Although next to the Winners, the Pierces are as poor as church mouse's.", admitted Yomiko Davenport around a piece of her sandwich.

"Next to the Winner family, everyone looks poor. It's a shame that other than Mr. Winner, there aren't any other male Winners around. ", sighed Aziza Barkari.

Marimaia stifled the chuckle that was trying to break loose from her throat. Apparently, her friends had forgotten that her cousin Dorothy was married to the multibillionaire. She was deciding whether or not to remind them when Yomiko sat up and looked her way.

"Wait a minute; hey Marimaia isn't your cousin Dorothy married to Mr. Winner?"

"Yes, Dorothy is married to Quatre. I was in the wedding along with half of his twenty-nine sisters. During the reception, they had to take Dorothy to the hospital."

"Why, did she get sick or something?"

"No, her water broke and she gave birth to a baby boy."

There were various squeals of happiness from the four girls as they stared discussing how lucky it was for a bride to give birth to her first child on her wedding day. That subject brought them back to the topic they were discussing before and she tuned them out. Glancing at her watch, Marimaia saw that it was getting near the end of lunch and soon the students would be heading for the ESUN building for their chance to watch the government in action. Getting to her feet, Marimaia dusted the crumbs off of her school uniform and looked around for the nearest refuse can to deposit her trash. Picking up the remnants of everyone else's lunch, she headed to the can. Aziza joined her and the two girls chatted as they took care of the trash.

Standing a few inches taller than Marimaia, Aziza Barkari was an ebony goddess. With dark brown skin, hazel eyes, long and curly black hair, and teeth that shined like pearls when she smiled, Aziza knew she turned heads. At the moment her hazel eyes were scanning the park as she listened to her closest and best friend talk about the different topics that were going to be brought up in the ESUN meeting they were going to attend. As it was Aziza's mind wasn't on the meeting, it was on Marimaia.

Among the five of them, Aziza was known as the worrier. She always worried about her friends and their well being in life. Fortunately, Aziza didn't worry about Yomiko, Theresa, and Jasmine as much as she did about Marimaia. In the years since they had first met, Aziza had never seen Marimaia interested in anything other than her work and politics. Aziza knew that when she was younger, her friend had been one of the forces behind the short-lived Second Gundam War and had spent a year or two in a wheelchair recovering from the injuries she had sustained at the conclusion of that fracas. Cutting her eyes at the shorter girl, she saw that Marimaia was walking better with no sign of the very slight limp she occasionally had. Aziza sighed.

"What's wrong Aziza? I hope I haven't bored you with all this talk of politics?", asked Marimaia as they turned to head back to their friends.

"No, Mari, you haven't bored me. I was just thinking of something else."

"Oh really; and how is Jacen doing, Aziza? You haven't said much about him today. Usually we can't get you to stop talking about your boyfriend.", teased Marimaia

Aziza blushed a bit and gave her friend a slight push while returning the teasing.

"At least I have a boyfriend, Mari. Out of the five of us, only you and Theresa don't have boyfriends. With the rumor we heard today, it sounds like Theresa is about to leave you as the only member of the no boyfriend club."

"You know I don't have time for a boyfriend, Aziza. I'm too busy with schoolwork as it is."

"Marimaia, even though all of your classes are accelerated, and you spend more time studying in the dorm than anyone else you still have a little bit of free time where you aren't doing anything except reading or watching television.", said Aziza as they walked back to the trio of girls still under the tree.

Marimaia grunted. This was a subject she preferred not to dwell too much on. Speeding up to avoid the discussion she knew was coming, Marimaia went to veer around a couple in the middle of the path. However, in her haste to avoid the topic Aziza wanted to talk about, Marimaia didn't see the young man just on the other side of the couple. Too distracted to hear Aziza call out, Marimaia took two steps past the couple and ran straight into a solid wall of flesh.

Morgan had just gotten off of the phone with Adrienne when he collided with an unknown person. Surprised at the sudden collision, Morgan was knocked off balance. He quickly regained it in time to see the person who had ran into it starting to fall. With reflexes that were almost as fast as either Adrienne or Jordan, Morgan reached down and gently grabbed the girl to keep her from hitting the ground in a most undignified manner. For her part, Marimaia had resigned herself to the fact that she was about to hit the concrete walkway and hoped that it wouldn't leave much of a bruise. She didn't want to have to explain to her adopted mother what had happened. Anne Une got so worked up over the smallest thing when it came to Marimaia.

**"_Oh for the love of god, why in the hell did this have to happen.",_**_ fumed Marimaia._

In the seconds it took for her to think that thought, Marimaia realized that she hadn't hit the ground yet. Then she became aware of a pair of unfamiliar hands grabbing her arms and halting her descent to the ground. Once she was sure that she wasn't going to fall, Marimaia straightened up and looked at her rescuer.

"Oh, excuse me. I'm sorry for running into you like that.", apologized Marimaia.

"It's nothing for you to worry about. I wasn't paying attention."

Marimaia smiled and brushed some of the wrinkles out of her uniform then turned when Aziza trotted up followed by her other three friends. Grinning as Jasmine, Yomiko, and Theresa hovered over her like mother hens; she turned to the gentleman and thanked him for keeping her from hitting the ground. He acknowledged the gratitude and turned to continue on his way. Turning back to her friends, Marimaia calmed them down and letting them know she was alright. In doing so, she didn't see the gleam in Aziza's eye. Morgan was four steps away when he heard footsteps behind him and turned to find the dark-skinned friend of the girl he had knocked down. Sighing to himself, he readied himself for what he knew was coming. Resigning to the inevitable, Morgan stopped and waited.

"Excuse me sir. I want to apologize. It was my fault she ran into you and I want to apologize for it. If I hadn't distracted her she wouldn't have run into you..", stated Aziza.

Don't worry about it. As I already told your friend, it wasn't her fault nor is it your fault. I just wasn't paying attention. Now if you will excuse me, my sister will be here shortly to pick me up and take me to lunch."

"Oh, I see. Well, before you go I would like to introduce myself and my friends. My name is Aziza Barkari. My red-haired friend you helped is Marimaia Khushrenada, and our other friends are Yomiko Davenport, Jasmine Adjani, and Theresa Blackmon. We're all students at Saint Gabriel's Academy."

"I see, that's interesting, nice to meet you. I'm Morgan Tanisius and I'm a student at the school on the colony my family owns."

Watching as the girls talked among themselves about his revelation, Morgan saw that Adrienne had arrived and was heading in his direction. With a final apology, Morgan turned and went to meet his sister. Surrounded by her friends, Marimaia watched as the boy walked away and joined his sister. Turning to Aziza, she wondered what her friend had said to the young man. Concerned that she might have hurt the guy, Marimaia stilled herself and waited for Aziza to talk. Yomiko beat her to asking the inevitable question.

"So Aziza, did you thank that cute guy for keeping our redheaded friend from eating concrete or did you insult him enough where he wouldn't want to see any of us again?"

"I apologized and thanked him of course, Yomiko. Then I introduced myself to him. What did you expect me to do?"

"Did you at least get his name?", questioned Theresa while stretching her leg.

Aziza gave the brunette a wicked smile.

"I did better than that. I got his name and the fact that he is a student in school on the colony his family owns."

As her friends questioned Aziza about the young man, Marimaia looked back to the park entrance and saw that the limo carrying the stranger had pulled away. Shaking her head, Marimaia joined her friends as they headed to join their chaperone. In the limousine pulling away from the curb, Morgan was answering questions from his sister.

"Morgan, who was that girl you were talking too?"

"I don't know, Adrienne. All I know is that she was a friend of a girl who ran into me. She introduced herself as Aziza Barkari and her red-haired friend as Marimaia Khushrenada. I didn't pay any attention to the names of their other friends."

"I see. Well let's go grab a bite to eat."

"Now that sounds like a plan sister dear."

"Shaddap kid, you haven't paid your big sister tax in awhile."

"Oh great."

Back across town, Devon was five minutes away from his meeting when he spotted his tail. His first reaction was one of anger. He couldn't believe that Une hadn't trusted him enough to let him do this on his own. With his next thought, he wondered who Intel had sent to follow him. Making a turn as he checked his side view mirror, Devon recognized the profile of the motorcycle rider. And he laughed long and hard.

_"So Yuy decided to take this assignment by himself, well, let's see how good he really is."_

Changing lanes, Devon kept an eye on his companion as he continued on his way. According to his mental map of the city, the jeep was slowly drawing Devon further and further away from his meeting with Director Z. Recognizing the area as the neighborhood as that of a non-Preventor friend, Devon picked up his phone and made a call. Giving his friend a heads up on his situation, Devon asked the friend if he could borrow her bike for a short bit. She said no problem and gave him directions to a place where he could make the switch and ditch his tail. The only thing she asked was if he could escort her to a motorcycle club party during the coming weekend and to give her a couple of minutes to set everything else up. Devon agreed and hung up.

"Now all I have to do is wait for the fun to begin.", smirked Devon as he set up to turn down a side street.

A couple of car lengths behind Devon, Heero had seen his target pick up his phone and make a call. Wishing he could hear what was being said, Heero paid it no mind. Unfortunately, Heero got fixated on his target and consequently was completely surprised when Preventor Tabris made his move. Coming up on a familiar intersection, Devon looked into his rearview mirror and saw the approaching blocking force. A gaggle of fifteen modified street bikes lead by his friend came cruising up behind Heero. Heero had heard the approaching bikes and had paid them no mind at first. Then as they got closer, he looked around.

The first bike he spotted was the one belonging to a statuesque brunette Heero had occasionally seen at the local Saturday motorcycle cruise night. As the woman passed him, she gave him a thumbs up. In front of Heero, Devon had seen the signal and prepped himself for the diversion. Keeping an eye on the light as it started to turn yellow; he gave his jeep a little gas and slipped it into a lower gear. When his friend gassed her bike and pulled it into a long drawn out wheelie, Devon popped the clutch and tore across the intersection. Heero was all set to follow and was toeing his gearshift into gear when the other bikes he had heard pulled up and crowded him into the turning lane. Frustrated at losing his quarry and frustrated for being distracted, Heero slammed his fist onto the top of the gas tank. When the light changed, he turned onto the cross street then pulled into the parking lot of a corner store. Stopping the bike and putting down the kickstand, the man known as Preventor Zero pulled out his phone and called Commander Une.

In her office at headquarters, Anne Une waited for Heero to call with a report on his target. Relena and Sylvia had already left to attend the meeting where Marimaia and her classmates were witnessing the E.S.U.N. government in action. Totally engrossed in a report from Trowa Barton, Une didn't hear the phone at first. It only intruded on her consciousness after the third or fourth ring. Picking it up, she waited for Zero's report.

"Une."

"I lost the target. He got away at an intersection and I couldn't follow.", reported Heero.

"Understandable, return to headquarters and resume your duties. We'll be better prepared next time."

"Yes ma'am; Preventor Zero returning,. My E.T.A. back at headquarters is about twenty minutes."

"When you get here, requisition a vehicle to pick up the Foreign Minister and the Vice Foreign Minister. The ESUN meeting will probably be concluded in four hours."

"Yes Ma'am. I'll do that."

Une cut the connection and returned the handset to its cradle. Lifting her glasses and pinching her nose, Lady Une pulled up the social events calendar to see if there were any society events that needed an appearance from either a government official or a Preventor agent. The only thing she saw was a Fall Ball being thrown by some of the local merchants. It was a semi-formal affair and Une saw that VFM Noventa had already penciled it into her schedule. Checking the duty roster, Une grinned and saw that a small detail from Tabris' Sniper Team was on security duty for the ball. The Preventor Head also saw that the Baroness didn't have an escort.

"Hmm, I think I can get him back for his losing Heero today and I believe I can make Sylvia's night at the same time.", murmured Une.

Making a notation that added Devon Tanisius to the security detail and assigned him as Sylvia's personal escort and bodyguard, Anne initialed the roster and sent it to Chang Wufei's Operations Department for the solitary dragon to peruse at his convenience. Anne's next action was to place a call to Noventa's office and asked to talk to her social secretary.

"Go ahead Commander Une; you have Lady Sylvia's social secretary. What can I do for you today?", asked the bubbly woman.

"Actually, my call is too give you a heads up. For the Fall Ball, the VFM plans to attend on Friday night, one of my Preventor agents will be there as Sylvia's bodyguard and escort. I know you have to actually check with the VFM herself but I believe she'll like my choice as escort.", stated Une.

Over the phone, Une could hear the secretary flipping through the VFM's society planner and making small comments to herself. Soon afterwards, Une could hear the scratching of a pen on one of the pages and the hurried scribbling of a quick note.

"Okay commander, it's all taken care off. I just scratched a Master Joachim Burnside as the Baroness' escort. I believe that VFM Noventa will be ecstatic. From what she has told me she can't stand the young master. Now what is the name of the agent you want me to pencil in as the vice foreign ministers replacement escort/bodyguard?", asked the secretary.

"I selected Preventor Agent Devon Tanisius as Vice Foreign Minister Noventa's escort. As a Preventor, Agent Tanisius is qualified and licensed to carry a concealed firearm for protection of the primary subject. Also, since Tanisius is one of our snipers, he is best qualified to deploy the sniper team as he sees fit."

"I see. I will pass this on to the vice foreign minister and get her take on it. Hopefully, she will approve the change. Thank you Lady Une. Talk to you later."

"Ditto."

Cradling the handset to her phone, Une allowed herself a small smile. Knowing that Sylvia's social secretary was going to get in touch with Sylvia right away to finalize the change, Une decided to pass on the information of the change to Relena. Wishing she could be there to see the VFM's face and hear her reaction to the change, Une allowed herself a small chuckle of self-satisfaction. Reaching for her personal PDA, Une composed the message to Relena, jotted it down, and sent it on. Returning her attention to the work that was still on her computer screen, Anne closed out the calendar and returned to the job at hand.

In the meeting at the government building, Relena was getting bored. It had been two hours since the meeting had started and it was nearing lunchtime. The 21 year-old foreign minister was hoping that the meeting would break for lunch and she could relax for a bit. Looking five seats down, Relena could see her vice foreign minister absently pulling up something on the lap top computer built into the large oval table. Logging in to her private console, Relena opened up the messaging program and typed in a query to Sylvia.

"What are you looking at, Sylvia?"

"I just pulled up the social schedule for the weekend. It seem that I have the merchants' semi-formal Fall Ball to attend Friday night"

"I see. Do you have an escort for the ball already?"

"Yeah, unfortunately, I idiotically agreed to allow that narcissistic idiot Joachim Burnside to escort me. Now I'm trying to find away I can pawn him off and get another escort."

"That ball is in two days. How the hell are you going to get a new escort in that short of time?"

"I don't know. Hopefully something would come up. If only…"

"If only what?"

"Oh nothing, I was just thinking out loud about whom I'd rather have escort me to that damn Fall Ball. How did I let you talk me into attending?"

"Just lucky I guess. Now tell me, who would you rather escort you to this ball?"

"Nobody important, just this guy who I recently realized I have a crush on."

Before Relena could continue the conversation, her pocket assistant started vibrating against her hip. Telling Sylvia to hold on a minute, Relena reached down and pulled it out. Keying in her password, she saw that Lady Une had sent her a message.

"In about two minutes, Sylvia Noventa is going to be the happiest girl on the council. I just finished talking to her social secretary and passing on the assigning of a new escort and bodyguard for her attendance at the Merchants Association Fall Ball. Instead of Joachim Burnside, I assigned Noventa's object of interest from this morning, Devon Tanisius, as her bodyguard and escort. I believe she'll like that. Do me a favor and tell me the VFM's reaction when you get a chance. Thanks, Une sends."

Relena smothered the giggle that threatened to break out from her mouth as she finished reading the note.

At the other end of the table, Sylvia was answering her own personal assistant. Seeing that it was only reminder about the upcoming ball, she sighed and was about to delete the message when she noticed that her social secretary, Juliana, had made a change. When she read about the change, Sylvia started to fume.

_"What the hell is her problem? Changing my date for the damn ball without my permission. Granted, I can't stand the boor Burnside but at least I know who he is. Now she up and changes it to somebody I probably don't even know. Dammit, why is she fucking things up?"._

Sylvia started to send her secretary a suitably poisonous reply showing her intense displeasure at the change when she noticed the name of her new escort. Oblivious to the amused looks Relena was casting her way, Sylvia let her mind wander to the ball and whether or not she should get a new dress or wear one of the dresses she already owned. As she mused on that, a hazy image of an off white dress came rampaging into her thoughts.

Sylvia paid scant attention to the rest of the meeting. At the end of the meeting, Sylvia started to leave the conference room but Relena called her back and reminded Sylvia about the students from Saint Gabriel's Academy visiting the building. When the students had arrived, Relena had promised them a private audience with her and the VFM once the meeting had concluded.

"Relena, can't I pass on this just this once? I have to take care of some other things that take precedence?", Sylvia asked.

"No, Sylvia. You can't bail out of this, its one of the things that you have to do as Vice Foreign Minister. When I was VFM, I was very approachable to students. And I want to keep that going now that I am the Earth Sphere United Nations Foreign Minister. As my vice and my replacement when things go wrong, I want you to be as visible and even more approachable than I was.", Relena replied as the pair made their way to Relena's office.

Sylvia grumbled but quelled her displeasure when Relena cast a baleful glance at the doorway to her office. Replacing her frown with an obviously phony smile, the Thirteenth Baroness of the Noventa Barony followed the Peacecraft Princess into the office where several students waited. Even from behind the slightly taller woman, Sylvia saw the bright red hair and split eyebrows that announced the appearance of Marimaia Khushrenada. Sighing to herself, Sylvia mentally prepared for the possible boredom she expected.

While Sylvia Noventa and Relena Peacecraft-Yuy were starting to answer the barrage of questions hurled their way by the students of Saint Gabriel's Academy, the designer of the Wildstar Gundam was standing in a hanger at the shuttleport in a black flightsuit staring at what his protégé called the 'Wildstar II'

"What the hell is this thing, Devon?", asked Director Z as he heard the sound of footsteps with a familiar cadence to them.

"That, director, is one of my most favorite possessions.", answered Devon.

"Oh really, fascinating. Your reply still doesn't answer my question."

Devon sighed as he recognized the stern-voiced undercurrents that precipitated a verbal explosion from his handler from the Gundam Wars.

"Director, this is an old reconnaissance aircraft from many decades ago. During its heyday it was called the Vigilante and was capable of speeds considered slow by gundam standards. With a length of 76 feet 7 inches, a height of 19 feet 5 inches, and a wingspan of over fifty feet (AN: 53 feet 2 inches if you want to be exact) it was one of the largest birds to operate from an old time aircraft carrier. The Viggie, as it was know by its pilots and detractors alike was capable of speeds of over twice the speed of sound. Unfortunately, during its time of use, it was unarmed."

Director Z nodded as he took in the information. He knew that Devon was giving him the basic specs of the plane around the time that it was built. However, he also knew that Devon, like all of the Gundam pilots, was an avowed tinkerer when it came to machines and stuff. As it was, the director figured that whatever speed his operative told him his possession went, Devon had tweaked it to go even faster. Bringing his attention back to the sniper, Z saw that Devon was expounding on the work he had to do to get the aircraft flying again after finding it in a desert in the United States. Giving the aircraft a closer look, he saw that some of the metal panels had been replaced with gundanium panels. Devon finished his spiel and waited for the director to reply to his lecture but didn't want to prompt him to saying anything right away.

Devon was dressed in a similar black flightsuit as his handler and carried a helmet with a metallic black paint job. On each side of the helmet outlined in dark grey were the painted images of a pair of cat eyes. Devon had pilfered the helmet from a stock of surplus similar helmets from an old Preventors warehouse for used equipment. When he got it, the helmet was unadorned with color and graphics and was still in its original package. Once it was in his possession, he had labored long and hard for a design to put on the object to give it a sort of panache and élan all of its own. Ironically, once his basic idea was sketched on to the helmet, Devon had sent it off to one of the many subsidiary businesses under the Tanisius Security Technologies LTD umbrella (under an alias of course) to be painted in the colors he had specified. Once his helmet had been finished, it had been sent back. When he received the helmet in the mail, the first thing he did was put it through a series of ever-increasing tests to see if the image would fade. Today, five years after he originally got the newly painted helmet, it still looked as good as the day he first opened the box it had been returned to him in. Taking another look at his aircraft, Devon led the director over to the cockpit ladder. He chuckled when he heard a whistle of amazement from behind.

"Damn, that looks like some climb."

"Nah, it's only about twelve to fifteen feet. Not much of a climb at all."

Director Z looked at his protégé and shook his head. Handing his helmet to the ground crewman standing at the foot of the ladder, he tightened his gloves and started the long climb. Midway up the ladder, he saw the crewman straddling the railing of the rear cockpit reach down and accept the helmet from the person on the ground. A few minutes went by and the director found himself sitting on the ejection seat being strapped in. Putting on his helmet as it was passed to him, he allowed the crewman to help him hook up all the communications and oxygen connections before patting him on his head and climbing down.

Up front, Devon had scrambled up the ladder and into the front cockpit without any assistance. Now he sat in the front cockpit and was looking over his controls with an experienced eye before starting the auxiliary power unit. Within seconds the noise in the hanger started to increase. Devon watched his instruments while holding his combination mask and microphone in his right hand. With his left resting on the dual throttles, he communicated with his ground crew. When the pressure level from the engine start cart and the APU reached a predetermined level, Devon activated his microphone by tapping his foot on the floor mounted switch.

"Air pressure level nominal, I'm preparing to start the number one engine."

"Copy that. You are cleared for number one engine start."

As he heard that announcement from the ground crew, Devon pressed the engine igniter button for the number one engine that was located on the underside of the front of the throttle. As he pressed the button and activated the fuel flow, the number one engine behind him lit off with a low but loud moan that crescendoed as the pilot advanced his throttle to the 'idle' setting. Repeating the process with the second engine, it was no time before both of the massive jet engines were turning at idle speed and making a hellacious racket that was at least fifty times louder than the loudest helicopter that was in use by Vigilante Aerial Photography.

With the engines at idle speed, Devon looked outside his own cockpit and caught the eye of the aircraft handler standing twelve feet in front of the pointed nose of his aircraft. When he was sure that the pilot saw him and could understand his hand signals, the handler gave Devon the sign to cycle his control surfaces. Devon did so and waited from the thumbs up sign from the main handler to signify that the surfaces were free and clear and weren't binding up. Acknowledging the given signal, he waited for the next one and it wasn't long in coming. As he watched, the handler raised both hands above his head and rotated them at the wrist while closing his hands in to fists to tell the pilot that he wanted him to lock the brakes. Upon receipt of the signal, Devon placed his booted feet against the tops of the rudder pedals and pressed down hard to engage and lock the brakes of his aircraft. Feeling the force of the brake pressure shoving back against his legs, Devon looked out his cockpit and repeated the signal to the ground crewman and added his own thumbs up sign. When that was acknowledged, Devon kept his fists clenched and turned them so that the thumbs faced out. Putting the sides of his fists together, he jerked them apart signifying that he wanted the wheel chocks pulled from in front of and behind both sets of main landing gear and the nose landing gear.

The handler repeated the signal then leaned forward and gave the signal to the three crewmen kneeling by each set of wheels. Getting three acknowledgements, he once again gave Devon the 'chocks out; signal and added his own thumbs up. Now the only thing keeping the big aircraft from moving was the pressure of Devon's legs on the brakes. With another look at his gauges and instruments to see if everything was operational. Looking forward again, the sniper saw that the handler had his arms crossed above his head and was looking around to make sure no one was around to get in the way of the soon to be moving aircraft.

As he watched and waited, Devon reached forward with is left hand and switched his radio to the tower frequency. Checking in with the control tower he gave his aircraft identification numbers and requested permission to taxi out to the active runway.

"Brussels Tower; Wildstar Seven Oh One, requesting permission to taxi to the active runway."

"Wildstar Seven Oh One, Tower, permission granted. Take taxiway Charlie Three to Runway Two Five right and hold short. We are a holding a Winner Spaceways shuttle on final approach."

Devon clicked his mic twice in reply. The tower controller knew that the clicks weren't from the pilot being rude; it just meant that at that moment, he was a bit too busy to give a verbal acknowledgment. In the hanger, Devon had been watching his handler all during the conversation with the tower and had seen the handler give him the 'release brakes' signal. Complying, Devon unlocked his brakes and felt the big machine move forward slightly, trembling to be let free. The next signal he received from the handler was to move forward and turn to the left in order to exit the hanger. Devon brought his feet off the brakes and added just enough power to get his bird taxiing to his assigned taxiway. Once the seventy-six foot aircraft was exiting the hanger, the handler saluted Devon and waved him off in the direction of the runway. Devon returned the salute and brought his attention back to his instruments. Giving the aircraft a bit of right rudder, he made sure to keep the hot exhaust from blasting through the ground crew at several miles per hour as he turned the plane to the right. In the middle of the turn, Devon hit the switches that closed both cockpits and again increased his taxi speed.

Within minutes, the big aircraft was on the taxiway holding as the shuttle he had been informed about came in and made a crisp three point landing. Like pilots the world over, Devon critically judged the landing and gave the pilot an okay score. Mentally, he thought that the shuttle flight crew could have made a softer landing so as not to jar their passengers too much.

"Seven Oh One, Brussels Tower.", came the voice of the controller.

"Tower, Seven Oh One; go ahead.", replied Devon.

"Seven Oh One, you are cleared to taxi onto Two Five Right for immediate launch. Wind is out of the north at four miles per hour."

"Tower, Seven Oh One copies that we are cleared to taxi onto Runway Two Five Right for immediate launch with the wind out of the north at four miles per hour. Thanks a bunch tower."

"You're welcome Seven Oh One. Why don't you give us a light show, you're cleared for a Zone Five with your departure angle as ninety."

Hearing the words from the controller, Devon grinned under his oxygen mask. The shuttleport tower had just given him carte blanche to immediately pull into an afterburning climb to his assigned altitude the instant his wheels left the tarmac. Devon hoped that the glass windows in a several mile radius around the shuttleport would survive his transition into supersonic flight.

"Copy that Tower. One light show coming up; I hope you have your recorders on.", stated Devon; not trying to contain the glee in his voice.

In the tower the departure controller smirked at his companion as he reached down and activated one of the video cameras used to record take offs and landings on case there was an accident. In the cockpit behind Devon, Director Z had been listening to the radio conversation with a growing dread. He had a feeling that he was about to get a first hand experience with his protégé's uprated engines. The former mobile suit designer wondered what 'departure angle ninety' meant and asked. The answer he got didn't reassure him.

"Oh, you'll see.", commented Devon with an evil chuckle.

Ignoring the groaning sound that came over the open intercom communications system, Devon taxied the classic airplane onto the runway. Using his nose gear steering apparatus and a bit of left rudder, the sniper turned his Viggie so that the nose pointed in the same direction as the shuttlecraft that was just turning off the runway several thousand feet ahead. When he was lined up with the runway center line, Devon lifted his feet and placed them firmly on the brakes. As his aircraft came bobbing to a stop, Devon called the tower to verify his launch clearance. Once that was done, he dropped his eyes to give his instruments one last look. Mentally checking everything off, he lifted his head and looked around for obstructions. Seeing none, Devon slowly advanced his throttles to its maximum power setting without igniting his afterburners. The noise changed from a steady grumble to a sustained roar as the power built. When he felt his aircraft was ready, Devon released his brakes and the craft started to roll.

Slowly at first then gaining speed with each second traveled, Devon, his partner, and the aircraft rocketed down the runway fast approaching his liftoff speed of around one hundred ninety five miles per hour. A hundred feet out from his starting point, Devon shoved his throttles to the left and forward; activating his afterburners. From behind, he could feel the push as over seventeen thousand pounds of thrust roared out of the exhaust pipes as raw jet fuel was dumped into the engines. To those in the tower and those on the ramp it looked as if a forty foot trail of blue flame was blasting out the tailpipes. The controller in the tower, who'd been talking to the pilot, grinned as he watched aircraft 701 speed down the long concrete. Without taking his eyes off the show in front and below him, he listened to his assistant voice his astonishment.

"That ain't nuthin! Wait till you see him lift off.", he chortled.

In the cockpit of the speeding aircraft, Devon had partially tuned out his backseat passenger and was watching the speed reading on his heads up display. When it reached his required take-off speed, Devon started an easy pull of his control stick. Once he felt the bird lift off its landing gear and was flying straight ahead at low altitude he slapped the gear handle up and retracted his landing gear. Feeling the thunk as his landing gear doors closed, Devon took a half second to scan his gauges and verify that his wheels were up and locked. When that was verified, Devon took on more look at his gauges and warned his passenger to be ready. Getting a hurried acknowledgment, the pilot grinned before hauling his stick all the way back into his stomach.

With his stick inputs enhanced by the highly responsive fly-by-wire system, the large classic reconnaissance aircraft responded beautifully and before anyone could tell, it went from forward flight into a pure vertical afterburning climb. Around fifty-five hundred feet of altitude, Devon relaxed the back pressure on his control stick for a bit before shoving it over to the right. The Vigilante continued its responsiveness and pirouetted three hundred and sixty degrees around its longitudinal axis inscribing a beautiful vertical barrel roll. In the backseat of the aircraft, Director Z was impressed and said so. Grinning to himself as he listened to the tone of intense awe in his handler's voice, Devon converted from vertical to forward flight and set his navigation system to a point off over the ocean and engaged the autopilot. Once he was sure the autopilot system was up and running, Devon turned the conversation back to the reason why they were there in the first place.

"Okay director. Now talk and leave nothing out."

Across town, Adrienne Tanisius was glaring at the family mechanic. She was a bit upset because the engine of the silver Ducati kept on Earth for family use was in pieces. It seemed that the bike hadn't been properly stored since the last time it was used and the gas remaining in the engine had broken down and gummed up the L-twin engine.

After a fulfilling dinner with Morgan and a recharging nap, Adrienne had wanted to go cruising before getting dressed for the Merchant's Associations Fall Ball. She already had her dressed picked out and had wanted to go help Morgan purchase a bowtie and cummerbund set to match the close (almost indecently) fitting tiger-striped dress hanging on the door to her room.

Grumbling to herself as the mechanic worked on the bike, Adrienne turned on a booted heel and looked over at Morgan already dressed in his red leathers. Casting an appraising glance at her six foot tall youngest brother, Adrienne knew that several of his female classmates would kill to see Morgan dressed way. In his three years of high school so far Adrienne knew that Morgan had been voted class best looking several times. When he was at home, there were always some girls calling the house to speak with him. The calls had gotten so bad that their father had added five different phone lines to the family mansion so that each of his children could have a private phone conversation without blocking the business calls coming in from the different companies under the Tanisius Family Corporate umbrella.

Unlike Owen, who had passed out his private number to all of the girls in his high school classes, Morgan hardly ever passed out his number. He preferred to speak face to face with is friends. Adrienne thought a bit more about the semi-sheltered life Morgan had had then changed her focus to the tough black casual watch on her wrist. Frustrated at the lack of progress by the mechanic, she threw up her hands in despair. Grabbing her silver helmet off the wall, she stormed over to Morgan stood straddling his machine.

"Crank it up brother dear, its taking this mechanic too damn long to fix that bike and the store closes in ninety minutes. On our way I want to stop at the nearest Ducati dealership and pick up another silver bike. Hopefully that transaction won't take too long and we can make it to that gentlemen's haberdashery with at least forty minutes to spare.", snapped the eldest Tanisius offspring.

Morgan had been waiting for his sister to suggest that ever since she first found out that the engine for the silver bike was going to have to be torn down for a complete repair job. Taking his arms off the fuel tank where they had been crossed over his red helmet, Morgan reached down and picked up the piece of headgear and placed it on is head while leaving the face shield open. Casting an easygoing look at the slim figure in the silver leathers with her shoulder length hair gathered and tied into a ponytail with a big gold bow hanging from underneath the silver helmet, Morgan steadied the bike while Adrienne climbed aboard. Once he was sure that the big machine was stable the teenager lifted his left leg and placed it on the gearshift. With the bike already in neutral and the clutch in, Morgan turned the ignition key to the start position and depressed the engine start button with his right thumb. The big L-twin engine lit off with its unforgettable sound. Smiling under his helmet, Morgan closed his clear face shield. Reaching into the tank bag with his left hand, the young man pulled out the two parts of the helmet to helmet intercom system. Handing the first one over his shoulder to Adrienne, Morgan stuck the second one on to the side of his helmet and connected it to the base unit.

Adrienne accepted the intercom module and attached to the side of her own helmet while making sure that the voice-activated microphone was close enough to her mouth to facilitate clear conversation with Morgan while they rode together. With one more look at the muttering mechanic, her brother shifted the transmission into gear and the big red machine eased out of the garage. Increasing speed and changing gears, Morgan cruised down the driveway and out onto the street. Merging with traffic, Morgan twisted the throttle and fed more gas to the big engine and soon the Ducati was moving at an easy pace. Twenty minutes later, the Italian motorcycle turned into the parking lot for the local area Ducati dealership.

When her younger brother brought the bike to a halt and shut it off before putting it on its kickstand, Adrianne slid from her perch on the pillion and took off her helmet. Shaking her head to free up some of the tangles in her hair, Adrienne looked around at the bikes on display. It took her only a minute before she spotted one similar to the bike at home except for the color. Marching towards the building with her decision made and with Morgan following behind her, she was met as she reached for the door handle to enter the dealership offices. The salesman who met Adrienne was wearing a pair of slacks and a sport shirt. She sneered as the smell cologne wafted to her nose.

_**"It seems that this salesman doesn't know how to apply his cologne. It's too much if I can smell it from more than five paces away."**, thought Adrienne as she stopped where she was and waited._

With her arms crossed, the eldest Tanisius child arranged her soft features into a mask of studied indifference. When the salesman approached her and asked if she needed any help. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes.

"That midnight blue bike over there, what can you tell me about it?", Adrienne asked while tapping her foot.

The salesman went into his spiel and she allowed him to try and impress her with his knowledge of the bike in question. Adrienne allowed him to ramble on for a few minutes but when he started to repeat himself, she cut him off with an impatient look.

"That sounds good; I'll take it and the leathers that go with it."

The guy spluttered as he explained that it would take a bit of time but before he could delve into any more excuses she cut him off again.

"Look, I'm in a dammed hurry and I need that bike. You have fifteen minutes to fetch me the paperwork and the key so I can go take care of the rest of my business around town. If you don't I'll leave and move on to the next Ducati dealer and I bet they'll accept my business. Of course that will make me much later than I want to be and I do not like being late."

When the guy hurried off to take care of the paperwork, Adrienne turned at the sound of her brothers' boots as they clomped across the concrete. Morgan had one of his most humorous expressions on his face as he walked up with his helmet dangling from his hand.

"I say Addy; you really lit a fire under his ass. I've never seen a guy so close to wetting his pants before.", chuckled Morgan.

Morgan stepped back and lifted his hands as one neatly curled and manicured fist came to rest inches from his nose. Looking at the glare on his sisters' face, he bit back a groan. He realized what he had said as the flashing hazel eyes came to rest of his face.

"I've already had to tell Jordan this and now I'm telling you the same; do not ever shorten my first name again, Morgan. My name is Adrienne not Addy, kapisch?", snapped Adrienne in a cold voice.

"Alright, alright I screwed up, I'll remember next time. Jeez you're very angry about something and it's not just the repairs to the silver bike. Will you at least let me know what it is?", said Morgan as he raised his hands in a gesture of capitulation.

Adrienne sighed and dropped her fist. She had been on edge ever since the loud sonic booms had blasted off from the shuttleport. All of her siblings knew that loud noises and Adrienne didn't mix that well. It wasn't that she was afraid it was that she hated being caught off guard. And whoever it was who had piloted the aircraft had caught her majorly off guard. In addition to that, some of the upper windows of the Tanisius Building had shattered from the over pressure and some of her employees had gotten cut by flying glass. One thing that Adrienne hated the most was the injury of people working for her family in any position. It was something shared by all of the Tanisius family.

_**"Well almost all of us. Since no one has seen Devon in sixteen years who knows what he thinks about now."**, thought Morgan as he crossed his arms across his chest._

By now, the salesman had gotten the information Adrienne had needed and she had followed the poor guy inside the building to pay for the bike and get everything situated before accepting the key. Leaning back against his bike, Morgan watched as traffic moved by. Catching a flash of smooth brown skin, he turned his attention back to the building and saw his sister changing out of the silver leathers and into the blue leathers that matched the bike she had just purchased. Like their other brother and sister, Morgan knew that Adrienne didn't particularly care about modesty on some occasions. He remembered many a time when he was younger when either Adrienne or Jordan had strolled through the family mansion wearing just a pair of shorts and a sports bra. That had gone over real well with their parents and on several occasions, he and Owen had heard the arguments between their parents and their sisters' speed through the house at ear-splitting decibels. He grunted in amusement as the salesmen nearly lost their jaws as Adrienne changed.

"At least she had the decency to wear something underneath the riding suit. Sometimes I wonder about her and her penchant for under dressing.", muttered Morgan as he shrugged his shoulders.

Inside the building, Adrienne was reveling in the expressions of the salesmen when she had peeled out of the silver riding suit and slipped into the midnight blue one. Thanking her lucky stars that she kept in shape and had a firm stomach; Adrienne slipped her sock covered feet back into her silver boots. The blue ones that matched the new riding suit would take a while to break in and with her planning to wear high heels to the ball, she didn't want to deal with sore heels and blisters due to improperly broken-in boots. Finishing her transaction by paying cash, Adrienne strolled out of the dealership with the key to the new bike in her hand. Turning to the salesman one last time she told him where she wanted the riding suit she had been wearing sent.

"And I expect to see it there by tomorrow morning, is that clear?"

She saw the salesman nod rapidly before turning on her heel and heading towards the brand new motorcycle. Throwing one of her long legs over the seat, Adrienne put the key in the ignition and went through the process of starting the engine. With a quick glance at the fuel gauge, she saw with satisfaction that the bike was full. Looking in Morgan's direction, Adrienne saw that he was already astride the other bike and had it already running. From his position atop the red Ducati, Morgan saw his sister look his way. Even through the tinted face shield of her helmet visor, he recognized the look of feline happiness that had came over her. Mumbling quietly, Morgan readied himself for what he knew was coming. Shifting into gear and getting his bike moving, Morgan merged with traffic. Seconds after he had pulled out, he heard the rasping growl of another L-twin engine and saw a fast moving blue blur pass him at an extreme speed. Shrugging his shoulders and sighing, he sped up in hopes of catching Adrienne before she got pulled over for speeding (again).

"Mom and dad'll be pissed is she gets another speeding ticket on Earth. Last time she was here she racked up seven tickets and barely avoided having her motorcycle license suspended. Thank god to Owen for fast talking the authorities out of issuing the suspension.", Morgan said to his self.

Thirty minutes later, Morgan saw his destination and pulled the red Ducati next to the blue one parked in the parking lot. Shutting his engine off, he made his way over to where Adrienne stood tapping her foot as she looked in the window of the haberdashery. Taking off his helmet and carrying it in his right hand, he opened the door for his sister and followed her in. The moment they stepped through the door, they were besieged by clerks. Obviously the store employees had been waiting for them ever since Adrienne had called from the family homestead.

The minute he stepped foot into the store, two of the clerks grabbed Morgan and dragged him back towards the changing room. Adrienne took a seat on one of the cushioned chairs and waited. Picking up a fashion magazine that was sitting on the table in front of her, she waved away the offer of something to drink and flipped through the pages. Adrienne was like most of her friends and wanted to know what was going to be fashionable in the coming seasons.

Seeing nothing that interested her, she dropped the magazine back down onto the table and leaned back in the chair. Looking around at the men's fashions, Adrienne thought she might get something for her father and her other brother and bring it back to the colony with her. Spotting some interesting jewelry, she wandered over to take a look. Sitting in a heavy glass case were four black diamond earrings that caught her attention.

"Hmm, I wonder if dad will wear that if I bought it. I know that Owen likes to wear one of his onyx studs when he isn't doing business for the family. Morgan sometimes wears an earring on formal and semi-formal occasions, although I don't think he brought any of his this time. Maybe I'll go ahead and buy them. If I do, Morgan's wearing his tonight. It'll set off his looks perfectly.", mused Adrienne with her chin in her hand.

At that moment, the store proprietor asked her what kind of tuxedo her escort would be wearing. Answering that her brother's tux was 100 black silk with a shawl collar jacket, she waited while he snapped his fingers and had some of his assistants bring out some of the cummerbunds and bowties he thought would be appropriate. Their selections were nice but Adrienne insisted that Morgan's accessories had to be tiger striped to match her dress. When he didn't understand, she described it to him and watched as understanding appeared on his face. Calling a quick huddle with the manager of the store, he sent one of the assistant managers back to the storeroom for a couple of accessories he thought were perfect.

Patiently waiting for the assistant to return, Adrienne snacked on a cookie from the tin sitting on the table where she had dropped the magazine. Shortly thereafter her brother returned dressed in some casual black casual pants and a fitted white t-shirt. Over the t-shirt he wore a black button down shirt with elbow length sleeves. At the moment the buttons on the shirt were undone. Adrienne stepped up and ran a finger over the material of the garments and stated her approval. Nodding at the clerks, Adrienne suggested that Morgan pick out a few more casual outfits and a couple pair of shoes.

Morgan sighed when his sister asked him to pick out some outfits. He was usually a jeans and polo shirt kind of guy. However, he knew that if he picked out some jeans and polo shirts instead of more casual outfits, Adrienne was going to throw a fit and he still remembered some of the bruises she had left when he last turned down some of her choices. Adrienne had caught up with him in the gym situated in the family house and had goaded him into a sparring match. Like Jordan and Owen, Morgan and Adrienne were martial arts adepts like their parents. Adrienne preferred a ninjutsu style that fitted her slim figure and personality well, while Morgan chose to be trained in capoeira. All his siblings had some grounding in capoeira but once they had advanced to higher levels, they were given the choice to choose an alternate style. Morgan stuck with capoeira, Jordan had a penchant for savate, while Owen studied jeet kune do. Against the others, Morgan was able to hold his own and give back a little of what he took. Unfortunately neither of the Tanisius children had ever surpassed their parents. Leopold and Brianna Tanisius were capoeira masters and could go toe to toe with some of the best from Earth. When had made it his intention to stick with chosen martial art, Morgan's parents had been ecstatic and tested him every chance they got to make sure his skills didn't deteriorate. Out of all his instructors, his parents were the ones who pushed him the hardest.

For the next few minutes, Adrienne waited and watched as Morgan tried on different ensembles. When the managers' assistant came back with the special cummerbund and bowtie choices, she had taken one look at a particular set and uttered a small cry of happiness. The bowtie and cummerbund in the package matched her dress exactly. The satin fabric felt smooth to the touch and even Morgan had liked the choice. While the cashier was totaling up their purchase price, Morgan sat in the chair and waited. Now back in his riding suit he was relaxed and thinking forward to the ball.

"Hey Morgan, is your ear still pierced?", question Adrienne from the counter.

"Yeah, why'd you ask? I keep the hole open so that I have no discomfort when I put one of my earrings in.", answered Morgan.

"Good, that's all I wanted to know."

Morgan shrugged and let it drop. At the counter, Adrienne pointed at the four black diamond stud earrings and asked cashier to add them to purchases. The clerk whistled in amazement when the price was totaled. He was shocked when Adrienne didn't even bat an eye at the total and put the purchases on her credit card. When everything was bagged up, Adrienne reached into the small bag holding the earrings and pulled one of the felt cases out. Turning to Morgan she held it out to him.

"Here, go ahead and put it on. That way by the time we're on our way to the ball it will feel natural."

Morgan griped a bit but did as his sister bade him to. Once the stud was in his ear and adjusted to his comfort, he stared at his sister before putting on his helmet. When his face disappeared behind his face shield, Adrienne turned to the clerks and asked them to deliver the purchases to the house as soon as possible. When proprietor said he would put his best delivery guy on it and that bags would be there when they got ready for the ball, Adrienne thanked him then followed Morgan outside to the street.

While they had been inside the shop, the sky had started to turn dark as Brussels prepared for night. Looking at her watch Adrienne saw that her and her brother had time for a quick treat of ice cream before running home to get dressed. Morgan agreed and minutes later they were cruising down the street to an ice cream shop Adrienne had frequented on her last trip to the planet. Sitting outside at a table with wrought iron legs and a top of polished granite the two siblings enjoyed their ice cream triple scoops and watched as traffic went by. At one point they saw a Preventor drive by in a jeep and made up all sorts of stories about him and where he was coming from and where he was going.

Later as they pulled their bikes into the garage, the two continued a conversation from the ice creamery. Morgan pulled his bike up onto its center stand while his sister waited at the door. The engine for the silver motorcycle was still in parts but it looked like the mechanic had gotten pretty far along in his work.

Hurry up Morgan. The limo will be here in an hour and I still gotta deal with my hair."

"Yeah, yeah I know Adrienne. I know. I'll be ready and waiting for you when you make it downstairs. Just don't take too long. When the car gets here, I'll have the driver wait in the living room."

"Okay, that'll be fine. Now go take your shower and get dressed."

Morgan grumbled as Adrienne's voice floated to him from upstairs. He placed his helmet on the shelf next to hers and closed the door from the house to the garage before making his way to his room and the shower that awaited him there. As he made his way through the house, he heard Adrienne's voice as she sang in the shower. It was somewhat muffled but he was still able to make out some of the lyrics. The others were just too garbled.

Once in his bedroom he stripped out of the riding suit and the clothes he had worn underneath (a pair of jeans and a t-shirt) and started the water for his own shower. When it reached the temperature he wanted he stepped in and let the warmth of the water surround him. Fifteen minutes later he was doing up the cufflinks on his dress shirt and preparing to put on his new cummerbund and bowtie, leaving the tuxedo jacket as the last thing to needing to be put on. Looking in his mirror, Morgan grinned as he saw his new earring refract the light from the overhead and send it flashing across the room. Sitting down on the queen-sized bed, he reached for the pair of soft Italian leather dress shoes and slid his feet into them marveling at their perfect fit. Standing up, he went over to his dresser and put on a small splash of his favorite cologne. Looking out his window and seeing the headlights of the limousine as chauffer pulled it into the driveway he left his room and headed towards the front door.

Since he was the youngest of his siblings and still in high school, Morgan wasn't allowed (by family decree) to carry a concealed weapon (even with being trained like Jordan, Adrienne, and Owen by his parents). He griped about it but his parents had been more than firm. When he had complained to Jordan about it, she had told him that that rule had been in effect ever since Adrienne had turned seventeen. Owen had confirmed that rule while the two brothers were hanging out on Colony L-4 where he had gone to observe dealings with the ever-important Winner Family.

Reaching the door as the last chimes from the doorbell died down, Morgan called up to his sister. Not getting a reply, he opened the door and let their driver for the evening in and showed him towards the living room. Asking him if he wanted anything to drink, he made for the kitchen and brought the driver the glass of water he had requested. Chatting for a short while with the driver, Morgan turned as he heard Adrienne walk down the grand circular staircase.

With a strand of diamonds wrapped up in her hair and her tiger striped dress flattering her well-toned, Adrienne knew that she looked fine. On the third finger of her left hand, setting off her cool skin tone, was her diamond engagement ring with its white gold band. According to the looks from both the driver and her brother, she guessed that her stunning appearance had cut short their conversation. As she came to the bottom of the staircase, Adrienne saw that Morgan hadn't slipped into his tuxedo coat and frowned. He saw the frown and quickly slipped the fine woolen coat over his shoulders and she nodded in reserved approval.

"Are you ready, madam?", asked the driver.

"Yes, now we can leave. Do you know where we're going?"

"Yes, the Merchants Association Fall Ball. You and your brother are representing your parents and Tanisius Security Technologies LTD. If I'm not mistaken your company is up for some sort of award and the Vice Foreign Minister will present it herself.", stated the driver.

Adrienne gritted her teeth. She hadn't voted for Baroness Sylvia Noventa and didn't particularly like the younger girl. Adrienne would've preferred it if Relena Peacecraft-Yuy had stayed VFM. Yuy was a better person for that position than Sylvia Noventa was in her opinion.

_**"Oh well, I guess I'll just have to deal with Noventa as the Vice Foreign Minister till the next election."**, thought Adrienne as she accepted her coat from her brother and followed Morgan and the chauffer out to the car after closing and locking the thick front door. _

Morgan and Adrienne waited while the chauffer opened the rear door for his passengers. Once the pair had gotten in, he closed the door and made his way to his door before climbing and starting the engine. The immaculately kept engine fired up with a twist of the key and the driver took a moment to indulge himself in the mellow roaring idle of the big sixteen cylinder engine before putting the big car in drive and slowly pulling off. Moving out of the driveway like a stately carriage, the Tanisius family limo eased into traffic with barely a ripple in traffic patterns.

In the backseat, Adrienne had the driver turn on the television so she and Morgan could watch the news as they rode along. Opening the door to the small fridge built into the polished redwood bar, Adrienne retrieved a bottle of water while Morgan grabbed a can of Coke. Turning to her younger brother she admonished him not to spill his drink, much to his annoyance.

"I know that Adrienne, I'm not a kid anymore. I can handle my own glasses, bottles, and cans now. In fact I believe that my control over my hands is better than yours.", muttered Morgan in annoyance.

"Oh really, what makes you say that, youngster?", retorted Adrienne with a lilt to her voice.

"As you know, in chemistry, nervous hands do not a good chemist make; especially if, like me, you specialize in explosive chemistry. The chemistry you've used is precise because you make and handle binary and trinary poisons. You need to be careful you don't accidentally expose yourself to your poisons but with the explosive chemistry I use, I need to have steady hands so I don't blow up the entire colony.", Morgan snapped.

As if to underscore his words, the limo hit a bump in the highway that wasn't completely negated by the big car's well thought out suspension. The open bottle of water in her hand jostled a bit allowing a couple of drops to escape to splatter on the car's pristine carpet while the can in Morgan's hand remained rock steady and didn't as much as allow any of his drink to spill. Avoiding the self-satisfying smirk on her brother's face, Adrienne finished her water and turned her attention back to the news program on the television screen. Morgan let his sister fume and turned his attention to the night time scenery passing through outside the one-way tinted windows. Once the news was over, Adrienne had their driver switch the in-car entertainment system from video to stereo and relaxed to the easily listening instrumental music. The siblings rode the rest of the way to the ball with just the sound of the engine in counterpoint to the lyric-less music coming through the speakers.

When the big car pulled to a stop at their destination, the driver put the car in park and climbed out of the vehicle. With his stately walk, he made his way to the passenger side rear door and opened it to allow his passengers to exit the vehicle. Morgan exited the car first and extended a waiting hand to his sister to help her out of the limousine. Adrienne remained expressionless as she was helped from the car. Once standing and lightly holding on to Morgan's tuxedo-clad arm, she glanced around and nodded once in approval as the backseat of the car was perfectly aligned with the red carpet. Two steps out of the car, the siblings stepped under the arched canopy that kept guests from getting wet if the weather took a turn for the worse.

With one last word to their driver, Morgan and Adrienne Tanisius made their way up the roped off walkway through the immobile Preventor Honor Guard standing along the carpet walkway. Ignoring the flashing cameras of the paparazzi and not paying any attention to the voices of the well-dressed reporters trying to get interviews with the guests, the pair made their way through the entry doors with their cut glass windows. As they stepped through the door and into the foyer with its marble-tiled mosaic floor, Morgan handed the crème-colored invitation to the maitre'd and waited till the thick oaken doors were opened by a pair of suited bodyguards. Both Adrienne and Morgan saw with discerning eyes that the suit coats were cut a couple of sizes large to hide the shoulder holstered stubby, suppressor-heavy machine pistols the undercover Preventors wore and knew that the two had to be extremely proficient with their weapons.

Once through the thick pair of doors into the ballroom proper, the siblings heard themselves announced and saw that there was a receiving line at the end of which stood the Vice Foreign Minister, Sylvia Rene Noelle Noventa; Thirteenth Baroness of the Noventa Barony. Reining her thoughts in, Adrienne gritted her teeth and allowed Morgan to lead her down the line shaking hands and muttering false platitudes to the members of the Merchants Association.

Morgan, like the majority of their family, knew about Adrienne's displeasure at the election of the new Earth Sphere United Nations Vice Foreign Minister and was hoping that when they were introduced; his sister wouldn't inadvertently insult the VFM. It didn't matter to Morgan who was VFM; he wasn't old enough to vote anyway. During the run up to the election Morgan didn't know how many times he had heard Adrienne spout off with her Anti-Romafeller Foundation/ Earth Alliance Cabal rhetoric whenever the topic of the election came up.

As they approached the end of the receiving line, Morgan slowly and casually increased his grip on Adrienne's arm, squeezing slightly to let her know to be nice and respectful. Coming closer to the second most important person in the government, the youngest Tanisius found his attention wandering and spotted the gentleman standing behind the VFM. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Vice Foreign Minister Noventa's escort was another bodyguard. And it wasn't because he was dressed in the Preventors dress uniform. It was because of the watchful eyes hidden behind the dark glasses and because of the barely visible earpiece of the communications headset hanging behind his ear. Even harder to discern was the small microphone hidden in the collar of his uniform coat.

When they were close enough to hear the VFM's voice as she greeted the couple before them, Morgan took a closer look at her escort. Something was feeling off kilter to him and he couldn't place his finger on it. The escorts' features seemed somewhat familiar to him and he couldn't place the reason why. Shrugging his shoulders in resignation he let it drop to think about later. For now he and his sister were being introduced to the VFM.

The Vice Foreign Minister was annoyed. Her escort was paying more attention to the guests than he was to her. She knew that Preventor Tanisius was only doing his duty but, dammit, she wanted him to at least acknowledge her appearance. She had even gone out and picked up a brand new dress just for this occasion. It didn't help that the vibe he had been giving off ever since the government vehicle had retrieved them from her house was one where he thought he should have been with the teams on protection detail scattered around the entrances and exits of the ballroom. Hell, he had even mentioned that he would've preferred to be wearing his night disruptive pattern combat suit and watching the proceedings through his scope than wearing the dress uniform he was presently attired in (even if he did filled out the khaki dress shirt, wool tuxedo pants, and matching coat better than any other Preventor in existence).

_**"It would have been better to arrive with that idiot Burnside than this concrete pillar of anger next to me. I'll be dammed if I'm going to let him ruin this evening. So what if it isn't a real date, I can at least dream that it is.",** thought Sylvia as she acknowledged the next couple in line. _

Looking to see how many more guests she's have to greet until she could break from this line and return to her seat on the presentation dais with several members of the Merchants Association and her unwilling escort, Sylvia sighed. Noticing that the next couple was just now approaching her she waited for Preventor Tanisius to tell her their names so she could actually act that she knew them. Waiting for the muttered name to spill forth from Devon's lips, Sylvia got even more annoyed when he was late in getting the names for her.

"Mr. Morgan R. Tanisius and his sister Ms. Adrienne N. Tanisius; representing Tanisius Security Technologies LTD.", came the muttered reply.

If she heard the absence of emotion in his voice, Sylvia gave no indication of it. She was more stunned by the name supplied. Sylvia had planned to give them the same once-over glance with its politicians' smile she had greeted the other guests with, however now she gave the couple a second more thorough look.

Adrienne Tanisius was stunning in her one shoulder, form-fitting tiger striped dress with its matching waist coat and high heels. Her make-up was understated but professional with no blemishes at all. Her shoulder length brown hair glistened in the ballroom lights as it cascaded down on the right side. Next to her, her brother Morgan looked devastatingly handsome with his cummerbund and bowtie matching his sisters' dress. With his complexion complemented by his tuxedo and the whole thing set off by the black diamond stud in his ear, Sylvia thought he could almost pass as a twin to the man standing next to her. Giving in to the reflex, the vice foreign minister lapsed into a short conversation with Adrienne after introducing herself and her escort. Caught up in the conversation, Sylvia didn't catch the speculative look that quickly passed over Adrienne's face.

Beside his mission for the evening, Devon was seething behind a false smile and clenched teeth. Out of everyone who was here, why did his older sister and younger brother have to show up? He hadn't been paying much attention to the names being announced as the guests had entered through the double doors since he was still fuming about being assigned his position as escort instead of being with his snipers covering every entrance and exit to and from the ballroom and witnessing everything through the floor to ceiling windows along the north side of the building. At least with him being with the teams, Devon could have perused the guest list at his leisure instead of trying to memorize the damn thing as he was driving his jeep to the Noventa Manor.

After his informative flight with Director Z, Devon had returned to headquarters only to be caught up in his office trying to finish up a backlog of reports that needed to be done by the end of the day. It didn't help that once he sat down to work on those reports, Devon and his fellow team leaders – Preventors Mustang, Firebird, and Cobra - had been besieged by weapons requests, status reports, equipment reports, and the like that furthered delayed his work. Running between the range, the armory, and the team room had gotten on Devon's nerves so much that he had taken one look at the scheduled duty roster for the evening and signed himself up for the sniper duty at the Merchants Association Fall Ball. Devon had even managed to grab his own set of night disruptive pattern camouflage togs from the supply room when Lady Une had called to remind him about the report she had requested when he had left the meeting earlier. Cursing to himself about forgetting that, he hurriedly bullshitted a report with information he'd already had on hand from an earlier meeting with his informant. Just as he finished that, Une had called down again requesting that he verbally present his report in person. That had taken more time out of his fast waning day.

Leaving his office in the sniper annex, Devon had entered the main building and caught an elevator to Une's office. Once there, her secretary had waved him right on in to Une's inner sanctum. Once in Une's office, Devon had gotten a surprise. Une wasn't alone. In the office with her were several of the other Gundam pilots. Alongside one side of the table sat Duo and Hilde Maxwell and Quatre and Dorothy Winner. On the other side sat Preventors Chang and Barton. Next to Une was Heero Yuy and Devon could see that Yuy was still pissed off about his ditching Yuy's pursuit. Devon had smothered a grin at that then noticed that there was an extra empty chair on Une's left side. Wondering who was going to sit there then deciding it wasn't important, Devon had gone on with his report. Midway through his recital, the door to Une's private elevator had slid open and out stepped Crown Prince Miliardo Peacecraft with his trademark long-platinum blonde hair and the ever present sunglasses that had given him his 'Lightning Count' nickname.

Upon seeing the prince, Devon had cut short his report and was about to snarl when Une pointedly indicated he should continue. Smoothly bringing his anger under control as Miliardo had taken the empty seat, Devon finished his report. He tried to leave afterwards but the others had buttonholed him with questions he had to come up with some answers for. Answering the questions to the best of his ability, Devon had escaped and returned to his office. It wasn't five minutes after his return that he received a report on the two new rifles that had arrived in the armory. Grabbing his jacket and following the other team leaders, Devon had sat in on a twenty minute lecture on the new arrivals chambered in 6.8 SPC and 6.5 Grendel respectively. Accepting the information passed out once the lectures had finished, Devon had gone back to his office and worked on his reports for the next couple of hours till it was time for him to get ready to head out with the snipers on duty. It was then that the ever insufferable Heero Yuy had dropped by for a very rare appearance in the sniper annex and curtly informed Devon that his posting had been changed and that he had two hours to change into his dress uniform and report to Noventa Manor and his assignment as the vice foreign ministers escort. Frustrated he had asked when it had been decided he was to escort VFM Noventa and why hadn't he been informed when he had showed up to present his report. Yuy had just shrugged his shoulders and said it was a decision made at a higher level than he. When he heard that, Devon had snapped and cussed Heero out. Heero had retaliated with a smug smile and Devon had curtly informed the head of the Preventors Executive Protection Division that he needed to improve on his trailing techniques.

_**Yeah, I told him a five year old kid could follow a person better than he could and wouldn't have been distracted like he was.",** thought Devon as he watched his sister and the VFM Noventa chat a little bit longer. _

Devon remembered that upon hearing his words, every sniper in the locker room had gone silent and backed away from the pair. Yuy had given him his famous 'death glare' and Devon had returned it with his own expressionless face. In the end, Yuy had backed down from the developing confrontation and left. Devon had left shortly thereafter to run home and change into his rarely worn dress uniform. Once cleaned up, shaved, and changed he glanced at his watch and saw that he would be late if he didn't hurry. Leaving his apartment and climbing into his jeep, Devon had sped to Noventa Manor, only to get pulled over by the cops and given a ticket. Grumbling at his luck, he had showed up at Noventa Manor with barely enough time to meet the present Noventa Baroness, grab a cup of water, and climb into the government limo taking them to the ball.

Now here he was at the ball and looking at his sister and brother while praying that neither of them recognized him. Listening to the conversation coming over his headset, Devon understood that the snipers were being very observant and several had called in suspicious persons to the plainclothes agents. The plainclothes Preventors mingling with the crowds had snatched several away for interrogations and the like.

Every Preventor on duty was tied into the communications system with each unit having a channel for their own private use. Devon's beloved snipers were on the second of the scrambled frequencies and he was frequency hopping from the main frequency to the snipers frequency whenever there was a spare moment. Even the honor guards aligned along the red carpet were tied in although they could only hear. Only the commander of the honor guard, stationed in a little niche off the front of the building where he could see everything had a headset and mouthpiece and was using it to remind the honor guard of their bearing in front of the press and warning them not to answer any question.

Bringing his attention back to the task at hand, Devon saw that Morgan and Adrienne had departed for their table. Sylvia Noventa was looking oddly at him as the receiving line broke up and he offered her his arm. She accepted it and allowed him to escort her to the main table on the dais. Knowing that they were unobtrusively being followed by other Preventors scattered among the guests, Devon gave a subtle nod to inform them that everything was alright. Once Devon and Sylvia had arrived at the main table, Devon had pulled Sylvia's chair out for her and let her sit down before he took his own seat. When they were seated, the master of ceremonies walked up the podium and thanked everyone who had come and proceeded to go on about the history of the Merchants Association and the circumstances that had brought about the fall ball. The master of ceremonies relinquished the podium when he was finished to the first of several guest speakers. As this was going on the first course of dinner was served by the wait-staff supplemented by more undercover Preventors. If one had been watching the head table closely, they would have seen that every waiter or waitress that served Ms. Noventa and her escort were wearing waist coats cut one size larger to conceal their shoulder holstered weapons and had an earpiece with a flesh colored cord coiling down behind their ear to non-visible battery packs.

Devon picked at his food as he heard the speakers without exactly listening. Sylvia had already leaned over and chastised him once for paying more attention to his communications headset than to the guest speakers. When he had glared at her and tried to reply that it was his job, she had reached out under the table and flipped off the switch to his headset. What followed was a hidden competition where Devon tried to reactivate his communications headset while Sylvia kept his hands from doing so. It ended when a Preventor dressed as a waiter had leaned down and informed Devon that the ready reaction team commander and the sniper detail leader in Devon's place were worried about his dropping out of the comm net so abruptly.

"Tell them that it was a glitch. The plug had come undone from the battery pack. Human error on my part.", Devon told the undercover agent.

The Preventor had nodded and departed the table as Devon ignored the fury that was radiating from Sylvia as she applauded the speaker at the podium.

Three tables away, Morgan and Adrienne Tanisius were observing the exchange with bemused looks. Adrienne was enjoying the reportedly cool Sylvia Noventa receive her comeuppance. She did admire Sylvia for keeping up appearances although she bet the Preventor was going to hear about it on the way back to Noventa Manor. Breaking her attention back to her dinner, Adrienne forked another bite of the well done honey-glazed boneless and skinless chicken breast that had been seared to perfection by the chef. She had already eaten the garlic and butter roasted potatoes and found them to be exquisite. Sitting at her right hand, Morgan was taking another sip from his champagne glass. He ignored Adrienne's gaze with the ease that comes with years of practice and took another bite of his grilled fish.

Sighing to herself, Adrienne returned her attention to the plate in front of her while only half-listening to the speeches from the guest speakers. When she had had enough of her meal, Adrienne placed her fork and knife on her plate and a waiter was there in seconds to take it away. Shifting in her seat, she turned the coffee cup over. A different waitress came by and filled her coffee cup from the steaming carafe of a rich Colombian coffee she carried around the room. Asking for and receiving the sugar and cream, the twenty-five year old beauty sweetened her drink to where she liked it and waited for the next speaker to finish. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her brother quietly flirting with another waitress. In front of his place was a piece of blueberry cheesecake. Looking closer she saw that his piece was slightly larger than the piece of the person next to him. It seemed that the waitress enjoyed his attention enough to slip him a bigger piece. Adrienne cocked one ear in his direction and listened as he tried to charm the young lady into slipping him a piece of cherry pie to go with his cheesecake.

"But sir, I can't do that. Each piece has to be accounted for. One piece of either pie per guest is what we were told. If I gave you another dessert and my supervisor found out, I could be in big trouble.", the waitress quietly giggled.

Morgan rolled his eyes dramatically and tried another tack. Still receiving a negative answer, he asked if she knew how to make a cherry pie.

"Yes, I can bake a cherry pie. That is what I'm in school for."

"I don't how to bake that well so how about I pick you up sometime tomorrow and you can show me what I'm doing wrong? I'll give you my phone number and you can call me to let me know when to swing by.", Morgan said as he gave her another charming look.

Adrienne stifled a laugh as she heard the waitress hem and haw a bit before agreeing and writing the number to her cell phone on one of the cloth napkins. Morgan made a show of studying it intently and gallantly folding it. He muttered a few words of sincere thanks in their native language, much to the waitresses' embarrassment, and placing the napkin in one of his inside pockets as if it was the most precious thing to him in the world. Leave to her younger brother to use his incurable sweet tooth to get a date. Adrienne didn't hold him at fault; she had a serious sweet tooth as well. Only hers was more towards German chocolate cake. Leaning over to her brother she asked about the waitress and was gratified to his slightly embarrassed expression.

"Did you really ask her for her phone number so that she could teach you how to bake a better cherry pie or did you do it because you thought she was cute?", questioned Adrienne quietly.

"I asked because I do need help with baking. I'm not as good as mom or dad when it comes to preparing desserts and I wanted to improve my cooking skill.", answered Morgan a bit defensively.

"Mmmhmm, I think that's not all you wanted her number for. What if I decide to go looking for your little girlfriends from the park earlier today and tell them that you are setting dates with other girls.", Adrienne teased as she took a bite from her own cheesecake (strawberry in her case).

"They weren't my girlfriends, Adrienne! I just met them and that was only because their red-haired friend ran into me and I caught her to keep her from falling. Stop blowing things out of proportion!", whined Morgan.

Adrienne just looked smug and shifted her attention back to the dais where VFM Noventa was being introduced. The Vice Foreign Minister was going to announce the winners of several business awards. Tanisius Security Technologies LTD had been nominated for a couple of the minor awards. When she had received the invitation to the Fall Ball, Adrienne had been notified that the company had won a semi-prestigious award. She had dutifully informed her parents about the win and they had asked her to receive it on behalf of the company.

Looking around the grand ballroom, Adrienne sighed again. She mused that it would have been better if her parents had been here to accept the damn thing, then she could have skipped the entire thing and been well on her way to finishing the main reason for her trip to Earth in the first place. Adrienne really wanted to find her brother and talk with him even if it was just to see that he was alright and to find out what he had been doing since his kidnapping sixteen years before.

Morgan had been watching the representatives of other companies step up to accept their awards when he heard his sister sigh again and guessed that she was thinking about Devon again. Sixteen years before, she had been asked to watch him while the family was on a vacation to a Caribbean Island resort. He had only been a year old and didn't remember much about the vacation but he remembered that when they arrived on the island they had been a happy family of seven and when they departed for their home colony, they were down to six. Over the years he had bee told bits and pieces of the story (most of them from his parents and his two other siblings. It was hard to get Adrienne to open up about the incident). Wanting to know more, he leaned over and asked her about it. She turned on him like her namesake cat and rebuffed him with an icy look and a word of warning. Gritting his teeth, Morgan vowed to ask her about it in the limo on the way home.

_**"And if she still wants to not talk about it, I'll show her that I can be just as stubborn as she is."**, thought Morgan._

Morgan tried not to think about the repercussions his stubbornness to uncover the story from Adrienne could be. Shifting is attention back to Vice Foreign Minister Noventa he listened as her voice floated out among the guests. A part of his mind noticed that in her own she was attractive but he didn't think too much about it. He had other things on his mind. Morgan wondered how far he'd be behind in his studies when they returned to their colony. For the past four months he had been receiving assignments by way of email and even managed to sit in on a couple of lectures by way of teleconferencing links set up just for that purpose. Lately though he had missed a couple of lectures due to family business matters that he had been tasked to take care of. Morgan also spoke to some of his friends from class and they wondered when he was going to return. Yesterday he had been chatting with his best friend when he had found out that a girl he had an interest in had started going steady with one of his classmates that he didn't particularly care for. It didn't help that the guy in question was distantly related to another side of the Tanisius Family. Morgan had also found out that the sports team he played on at school was doing pretty well. He knew he wasn't the star player but he loved the camaraderie of the team and often times after a game they would just hangout at one of the teen hangouts on the colony. He was reminiscing about a fight that he and his team had gotten into with a visiting team that his family didn't know about when Adrienne tapped him on the hand. Bringing his attention back to the present, he saw that the VFM had just announced the award that Tanisius Security Technologies LTD had won and his sister was subtly reminding him that he needed to pull her seat out so that she could go and accept the award.

From his spot behind on the dais, Devon watched as his younger brother got up from his seat and pulled Adrienne's chair out for her so she could approach the stage and accept the award. He snickered when he saw that Morgan had been lost in thought. Devon had seen Adrienne tap Morgan's hand to bring his attention back to the present. Gazing around the rest of the ballroom, Devon got a report that the band had been cleared and was getting ready to enter the ballroom. Activating his mic, he got in touch with one of the other supervisory agents.

"Make sure that the band members and their instruments enter the ballroom from the side door. We're in the middle of the awards ceremony and we don't want to interrupt the VFM. Once the awards ceremony is over, allow the press a few minutes with the award winners. I also want every inch of the video taken by the networks confiscated and gone over with a fine tooth comb. Edit those videos accordingly.", stated Devon.

"Yessir Preventor Tabris, although some of the networks are reporting the awards ceremony live. We did state that a five second broadcast delay be instituted. The network reporters grumbled but acquiesced to the conditions we placed on them. We have our best people going over the live stuff and editing out views of our undercover agents. I also have some of Preventor Maxwell's crack team of cybernetics experts going over the live video as the raw feed is being piped directly to their location.", answered the agent.

"Good, do the networks have any suspicions that we're sending their raw video output out to our people right under their noses?", asked Devon as he watched Adrienne accept the award plaque and share a few words with Sylvia.

"No sir. No suspicions yet. We'll keep you informed.", answered the agent.

"Okay, thanks much. Oh yeah, if you can get her out to the site, have Preventor Barton's fiancée, Preventor Une see if she can spot any known bad guys."

"Already ahead of you there sir, Preventor Une came to us of her own accord and has been closeted with Preventor Maxwell's staff going over the video. She's identified a few possible terrorists however, according to her; they are just curious about the gala and aren't trying to do disrupt it. We did have to take one out though; he was on the 'Most Wanted' list. Preventor Eagle took him out with a shot from his suppressed weapon."

Devon grinned; his buddy Eagle was on the ball. Once the bad guy had been identified and he'd been given the go, Eagle had taken his shot and made it count. He'd have to write him up for another award when he made it back to his apartment. As good as he was Devon knew that Eagle was better. If Eagle kept this up, Devon would run out of good things to write him up for. Shifting his gaze back to the dais, he saw that Sylvia was finishing up after handing out the last of the awards. Waving over two of the Preventors that had served some of the meal, Devon ordered one to shepherd the award winners over to the area reserved for press pictures with Vice Foreign Minister Noventa.

"And make sure that the Tanisius siblings are in the picture with the baroness.", he added as the first Preventor started to step away.

The Preventor agent nodded and made his way to carry out his orders. Turning his attention to the second agent, he told her that once Sylvia finished her own speech (which thankfully was short), to allow guests to leave the ballroom so that it could be set up for the second half of the evening's entertainment. Once she acknowledged his orders, he asked about the rest of the on duty agents.

"Sir, the Honor Guard should be just about finishing their dinner and relaxing from their duties earlier. They will be ready to return to their duties in two to four hours. The deployed snipers have already eaten and are right now just standing at the ready. The ready reaction teams have stood down for a few hours to eat and rest a bit. I believe team four has a movie going in their waiting room and during this stand down members from the other teams are rotating in and out watching the movie and just hanging out. The honor guard unit commander has commandeered a couch in the building and sacked out for a bit.", reported the agent.

Devon nodded again, he had heard about all of the goings on over his headset but having it reported to him gave him peace of mind and verified everything he had heard. Listening as the agent finished her report, Devon cast his attention back to Baroness Noventa. Indicating his empty dessert plate, Devon asked if the agent could scrounge up another piece of cheesecake. When she told him that she could Devon grinned.

"And make sure that everyone gets extra helpings of dessert. For the job they're doing they deserve it.", stated Devon as he got up from his seat to wait for the vice foreign minister to return to her seat after finishing her speech.

Over his earpiece, Devon heard a multitude of cheers and knew that as soon as he had said them, they had been transmitted to the entire on duty Preventor Force. In addition, he had the agent call the sniper academy and requisition a team of sniper students nearing graduation for weekend duty to give all of the snipers in the active teams the weekend off. After of course she ate some more pie herself. More cheering was heard from the snipers on duty and Devon smothered a grin. He wondered how long it would take for his word to get around to the rest of the active snipers on all four teams who weren't on duty tonight.

Sylvia let Devon push her seat in as she listened to the final words of the master of ceremonies. Sighing quietly in relief, she slid her heeled shoes off and gave her feet a moment of respite. The Thirteenth Baroness of the Noventa Barony knew that it was going to be a short one because she had to go and pose for pictures with the award winners for the press. Sylvia had already posed for the official Preventor photographer when she and Devon had arrived. As expected Devon had declined to be photographed citing that as a sniper he preferred to be low profile in situations like these. The less people who knew what he actually did the better. Sylvia had at first agreed and let the picture be taken without him. She had been walking away from the official photographer on Devon's arm when she remembered that after the shooting competition a few months back he had been announced as a Preventor sniper during his demonstration and there had been a few reporters there as well interviewing her about her win and move to the top spot ranking. Hell, even one of the newsies had gotten a video of him as he walked through the crowd on his way to his locker.

_**"Before this night is over I will have a picture of him and myself from the official photographer even if I have to order him to do it.", **Sylvia thought as the master of ceremonies finished up and informed the guests that their would be a short break before the remainder of the evening's entertainment. _

Sylvia grimaced as she slipped her feet back into her shoes and allowed herself to be pulled up by Devon. To avoid getting caught up in several lengthy conversations on her way over to the press area for the expected photo opportunities, Sylvia told Devon to use his discretion in getting through the crowd. With a quick call over his headset, several servers with trays of champagne held in their hands made a discreet path towards the photo area. Any person who stepped into the path to intercept the VFM had a server appear and casually block them from getting in the way. Within seconds after leaving their seats, Sylvia and Devon were in the photo area. Making himself unnoticeable by stepping back from Sylvia as she spoke with the winners, Devon eyed the crowd through his glasses. Since the photo area was well-lit the lenses in his glasses shifted to a light tint that blocked some of the light without compromising his vision.

Sitting on one of the soft couches provided to give her feet a rest, Adrienne watched as Sylvia did the politician thing and chatted with some of the award winners having their picture taken. Since Tanisius Security Technologies LTD had received their award late in the evening, it would be awhile till the baroness got around to taking her picture with Morgan and Adrienne. The press was having the award recipients take their photos in the order that the award plaques had been given out.

Leaning back against wall, Adrienne started to look for Morgan but remembered that he had stepped off to use the restroom. Idly gazing about the area, her eyes focused on the VFM's' escort and bodyguard and saw that he was in communication with someone over his headset. When another uniformed Preventor arrived and took up a position shadowing Baroness Noventa's every move, Adrienne realized that the escort was taking a moment to answer natures call himself. Slipping her left shoe off and rubbing her foot with her hand, she let out a soft chuckle. Replacing her shoe, Adrienne rose to her feet and decided to do a little networking for the company as well. Leopold and Brianna Tanisius wouldn't be happy if their daughter didn't take the time to make contacts that could net the company more business for it and its subsidiaries. Putting a nearly sincere smile on her face, Adrienne entered the fray.

Morgan was idly strolling back from his bathroom run when he heard the rapid approach of footsteps. Listening, he guessed that the person making the footsteps was a man and he was in one hell of a hurry. Morgan grinned as he figured that it was another guy ditching his date to use the restroom. He was even more amused when he caught saw that it was the Preventor agent who had been escorting the VFM. Not saying anything, Morgan let him pass. As he did so, he heard the bodyguard making a call on his radio.

"All teams this is Tabris, I'm going off line for a bit to make my report to General Facility. Preventor Fox has assumed my bodyguard duties till I return.", stated Devon.

He listened as all the units on duty acknowledged although he heard the humorous tone from a couple of them. Glancing up, Devon saw that one of the guests was in the hallway with a slight grin on his face as if he knew the reason for Devon's rapidity. He was about to offer up his own long-suffering look when he recognized the features. The young man standing in the hallway was his younger brother. Devon slowed to a walk a murmured to himself.

"Morgan."

Morgan had turned to continue his stroll back to Adrienne when the Preventor suddenly slowed and muttered something. At first he didn't hear him but a step after that something in the voice registered. Something about the tone in the agents' voice was remembered. The memory was kind of hazy but there was something in it, something familiar. Looking over his shoulder he saw that the agent had stopped and was looking at him oddly. Halting his steps, he turned completely around and faced the Preventor and was about to say something when realization flooded through his body. He knew the agent looking at him. He knew Preventor Tabris.

Devon saw the realization flood into Morgan's eyes as he recognized his older brother. Stepping up to the younger man he reached up and ruffled his head.

"You've grown little one. You'll still never be taller than me though.", stated Devon in their shared native language.

His words, language and tone of voice completed Morgan's process of remembrance. Out of his older siblings, only one had ever called him little one. He was about to step towards Devon when his older brother gave a grimace.

"Hold that thought and wait for me here. I'll be right back, k?", stated Devon as he turned and continued on his trip.

"Okay bro. But we gotta talk.", replied Morgan.

Devon waved a hand in acknowledgment as he entered the restroom. It took only about five minutes but to Morgan it seemed like hours till he heard the door open and saw his brother discarding the paper towel he had used to dry his hands in its appropriate receptacle. Pushing himself off the wall, Morgan stood up looked his brother over. Devon stood about three inches taller than Morgan's own six foot height and had slightly broader shoulders than either their brother Owen or their father Leopold. Devon saw his brother looking him over and nodded.

"Yeah I'm in pretty good shape. My job just about requires me to be this size.", he commented.

"I kind of figured that out. What I want to know is, what happened to you and what have you been doing?", retorted Morgan.

"We'll have to talk about that later and some of it I can't talk about regardless of how close we are. But right now we need to get back to the others. You know Adrienne's probably seconds away from throwing a shit fit. And if I know Sylvia like I do, she's probably ready to kill me for taking too long."

Morgan noted that his brother called the vice foreign minister by her first name instead of either of her titles but let it pass. If Devon and the baroness were together, it wasn't his business. Nodding in agreement, her turned and started back to the photo area. Just before they entered the press area, Morgan sensed that his brother had dropped back to let him enter first so he could find Adrienne and face her wrath.

_**"Oh great, does he even remember how impatient Adrienne gets? Jeez, I'm gonna hear from her on the way home.",** thought Morgan as he saw Adrienne's face cast him a glare before shifting back into an interested look while she talked to a couple of businessmen. _

Sylvia was pissed off and doing her best not to show it. Her escort had up and disappeared for an extended amount of time. Soon, the band would start playing for the guests and she wanted to hear the music. Her grandmother upon hearing about the live band had all but ordered her to keep tradition and dance to the first song. Sylvia hadn't wanted to do any dancing but knew it would be required. Sylvia would've also been happy to break tradition and sit out the first dance. Still talking with another politician, the vice foreign minister let her eyes roam the area and saw Devon step back into the press area a few steps behind the younger of the Tanisius Security Technologies LTD representatives. Waiting till he tapped his temporary replacement (who was getting a bit worried) on the shoulder and retook his place, Sylvia excused herself from the conversation with the promise of a more in depth meeting on Monday.

Casually strolling up to Devon and taking a hold of his arm, Sylvia beckoned for him to tilt an ear in her direction. He complied and obediently tilted his ear in her direction. When he did, it took all her training not to reach up and grab it. Sylvia knew that the press was scrutinizing her and her interactions with those around her. She didn't want to make the E.S.U.N. look bad and she absolutely refused to make Foreign Minister Yuy look bad. Sylvia also knew that the tabloids would have a field day if she just up and lost her calmness. As it was, she suspected that by tomorrow afternoon two or three of the tabloids would romantically link her to Devon because of his uniform and position as a Preventor. One or two of the more out there tabloids would bring up the Yuy's relationship and speculate a similar ending for her and Devon. Sylvia didn't mind that and in fact would prefer if more tabloids did the same. At least then her office could deal with those issues. Waiting till he had stopped moving, Sylvia asked Devon what had taken him so long.

"I ran into young Mr. Tanisius in the hallway and we had a short conversation. I apologize for my being late.", answered Devon.

"You'd better apologize. The press time is almost up and I have to get back into the ballroom for that damned traditional first dance that both my grandmother and the master of ceremonies want.", continued Sylvia.

Devon nodded; he had a feeling why Baroness Sophia wanted the tradition enforced at this ball. He listened as the VFM continued chastising him all the while keeping a political smile on her face. Devon gazed around a bit and saw that one of the agents was jockeying his sister and brother into position for their picture with the vice foreign minister. Taking a step in that direction he waited for Sylvia to move with him so she could get the picture over with.

"Would you like me to choose your own partner for the first dance Ms. Noventa?", asked Devon as she finished up her ranting about tradition in his ear.

"No you ain't getting out of that one. If I've gotta suffer for this dammed 'First Dance' tradition you're going to suffer as well. I can't get out of it. With the tabloids here, you know what they're going to think about us? Hell I wouldn't put it past the baroness to pull this kind of fast one on me.", Sylvia still fumed into Devon's ear.

When Sylvia had mentioned tabloids, Devon had nearly frozen. He knew exactly what the tabloids would make of the VFM sharing the first dance of the ball with him. They were going to run it as if he and Sylvia had a relationship like Heero and Relena. They had already tried to touch on it after the shooting competition when some wag had snapped a picture of him and Sylvia walking together just as he handed his tube of pain cream to her. The talk shows had ran with that for weeks afterward.

Sylvia stopped chattering in Devon's ear as they approached the photo area. Slipping her hand off of his arm, she allowed him to step out of sight and take his usual position out of the frame. Sylvia turned as Adrienne and Morgan Tanisius approached.

Morgan had watched the interaction between the VFM and his brother as they had approached the table where the plaques sat. After weathering a short verbal barrage and a cool glance (Morgan counted himself lucky just to receive those), he had escorted Adrienne over to the table. Once there, Sylvia had picked up the crystal plaque and turned to Adrienne with a hand extended. Adrienne accepted the plaque in her left hand while meeting Sylvia's extended hand with her own. As they shook hands and said a few words, the press corps went photo crazy and took several pictures. Morgan was about to weasel out of it when he felt himself gently nudged forward. Arresting his turn to see who had pushed him (although he thought he had a feeling who had), Morgan stepped up beside Adrienne. Both women were a bit surprised at his appearance but covered it real well. He plastered a false smile on his face and accepted Sylvia's hand himself. The photographers took a couple more pictures before Preventor agents (brought by command over Devon's headset) started shepherding the awardees back to the main ballroom for the rest of the entertainment.

Passing through the now slightly tipsy crowd in return to their table, Sylvia let Devon lead the way through another discreet pathway made up of more servers with drink trays. Once reseated, Sylvia let the false smile drop from her face as the lights were dimmed to allow the newly lit candles on each table to provide a cozy, intimate atmosphere for the dancing. When the Master of Ceremonies announced that the Vice Foreign Minister and her escort were given the honor of first dance, Sylvia plastered the false smile on her face again and waited till Devon had extended her arm and escorted her to the middle of the ballroom floor. Once in the middle of the dance floor, Sylvia turned to her escort and curtsied. When Devon had again taken her in his arms, the ballroom lights dimmed even further and a crisp white spotlight hit the pair and the music started.

Morgan and Adrienne watched as Sylvia and her escort danced. Once it was over the guests applauded and many made their way onto the dance floor just as Devon and Sylvia left it. Adrienne watched as Sylvia retrieved the champagne flute she had snatched before the first dance and took a sip from it. Behind them, Adrienne could hear as some of the guests who had stayed to see the first dance were calling it a night and heading towards their cars. Deciding to dance a few times with Morgan (as was expected), she took his hand and pulled him to the dance floor where they joined several other couples already dancing.

A few hours later the Merchants Associations Fall Ball was winding down. The majority of the guests had left or was in the process of leaving. Adrienne was sitting out the song and finishing up her champagne. She had promised that after she finished the champagne, she was to retrieve her brother so that they could return home. She was getting tired and wanted to get some sleep. She had just put her glass down when she heard a voice behind her.

"Ms. Tanisius would you care to dance?"

Turning towards the voice, Adrienne saw that the VFM's bodyguard and escort had been the one asking. Looking around she saw that Vice Foreign Minister Noventa was dancing with another politician and shrugged her shoulders. Accepting the hand that was extended to her, she rose lithely to her feet and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor. Over the course of the dance, Devon had been watching Adrienne and wondering whether he should make contact with her or not. A few dances earlier, Morgan (who had been dancing with another businessman's teenage daughter) had brushed by him while he was sharing another dance with the VFM and had told him in their native language to just go and do it.

"She's been looking for you for a long time Devon. Just do one dance with her and let her know that you're alright. It will cheer her up immensely. Ever since we landed on Earth four months ago, Adrienne's been pushing herself hard trying to follow all sorts of leads on you. However, the Preventors hadn't given her any information.", he muttered on one pass.

"I know that Morgan. To the Preventors knowledge I'm an only child orphaned before the First Gundam War. And as long as I'm with Preventors, that's how its going to be.", returned Devon during another pass.

Now with his sister in his arms, he waited till the moment was right and spoke to her in their native language.

"Hello Addy, it's been a long time."

Adrienne had resigned herself to the fact that she was stuck dancing with this Preventor when she wanted to do nothing but go home and sleep. She had been thinking of that very thing when the Preventor agent spoke in a soft voice. The words had at first been too soft to catch but when they were repeated, Adrienne started a slow burn. Until she realized that this agent knew the short form of her name that she hated. Focusing on the agent for a minute, her mouth started to drop.

"Devon?"

"Yup, other than Jordan, Owen, and Morgan, who else would know that? If you remember, I'm the one who gave you that nickname when I couldn't fully pronounce your first name."

Devon looked at his sister and saw the tears start to form in her hazel eyes. Raising his hand and gently pressing her face to his shoulder, he let her quietly sob into his uniform coat. He knew why she was crying and knew that it would be better to let her cry it out. Glancing over at Morgan (who wonder of all wonders was dancing with a tipsy Sylvia Noventa), he saw Morgan give him a nod. Whispering in Adrienne's ear, he got her to stop crying.

"God Devon, you don't know how long I've been looking for you. For sixteen long years I've been searching and waiting. Worrying about that day and what I could have done differently."

"It's okay Adrienne. It's okay. I've always known you'd continue searching, regardless. Since I'm still on duty I cannot spend the rest of the night talking to you. I'll drop by tomorrow and we'll talk. Once this song is over Adrienne, you'll have to let me go for now. I can't risk the Preventors tumbling to the fact of who I really am. Even though I'm using my given birth name, the Preventors think that I am an only child orphaned before the First Gundam War and they must keep thinking that till I do reveal who I really am."

"But why Devon, why do I have to keep your identity a secret? I don't understand."

"I'll explain most of it tomorrow. And even then there are some things that I can never tell anyone. If anyone found out those things, it would destroy the entire E.S.U.N."

Adrienne looked oddly at her brother. Seeing the honesty in Devon's eyes, she decided to trust his words for now. Looking around for Morgan, she started to tense up when she couldn't find him. Devon felt it and turned her so that she could see who Morgan was dancing with. He heard her chuckle and grinned. When the song ended, Devon stepped away from Adrienne and turned his back on her with just one backward glance. In that glance Adrienne saw that he was still her brother but Devon was back to doing his duty. When Morgan came over after Devon departed, she turned towards the door.

"Let's go Morgan. It's late and I'm tired."

Morgan saw his sister wipe away a tear. Being the person that he was, he didn't comment on it and escorted his sister to the door where their limo would be waiting. Without looking back, the oldest and youngest Tanisius children made their way out the ballroom with different things on their mind.

For her part, Sylvia was in a happy but slightly buzzed state of mind. She had been surprised when the young Tanisius had asked her to dance and had accepted more out of surprise than duty. Sylvia had enjoyed the time with the young man but would have preferred if her escort was the one dancing with her like he had on a few occasions when she wasn't dutifully dancing with the sons of politicians and businessmen. She had even managed to choke down her repugnance and dance once with Joachim Burnside. Now that nearly the ballroom was nearly empty and most of the important people had gone home, Sylvia wanted to dance once more with her escort. In their previous dances, she and Devon had been a fixed space apart. Each time she had moved in, he had stepped back for decorum's sake. Now with no press in anywhere in the room and the majority of Preventors who had been on duty had returned to headquarters, Sylvia was going to take a bold move and dance with him how she wanted.

_**"At least he's taken that dammed communications earpiece out with almost all the snipers and other Preventors gone."**, thought Sylvia. _

When he approached her after her time with the younger Tanisius, Sylvia gathered her courage and asked. He started to refuse but she just told him that afterwards they could make their way to the limo. Sylvia saw his mental dilemma. He was thinking about the fact that most of the security detail was gone with just the honor guard, one ready reaction team, and one sniper/spotter team. All of the undercover agents had left as well. Other than her personnel bodyguard unit (most of which were looking at their watches and cursing) and two or three couples, there was no one to witness Sylvia and her escort dance one last time before she left. Sylvia almost squealed when she saw Devon's decision in his eyes.

_**"What the hell, even though I am on her protection team this chance may never come around again."**, thought Devon as he acquiesced._

Devon nodded and led Sylvia out onto the dance floor and waited for the beat. Once he heard it, he moved with a grace that was matched by her own. Letting his mind wander, Devon didn't notice when his dance partner started moving closer and closer to him with each step. It wasn't until the song was just about over when he looked down and saw that Sylvia was just about completely enfolded in his arms. Looking down again, he saw that her head was resting against his chest and although he didn't mind the feeling he was sure that it was a breaking of decorum. Devon tried to take a step back and establish their personal space again when he felt her arms tighten around his back.

"Please don't move. Just let me enjoy this dance this way just once.", murmured Sylvia.

Devon felt her voice echo against his chest and her breasts brush even closer. Desperately trying to increase his distance, Devon looked around and, seeing no press anywhere in the room gave in to Sylvia's wish. He was going to have a serious talk with the commander in the morning and didn't give a damn if he woke her up on her off day. There was no way Lady Une should have assigned him this mission.

For her part, Sylvia closed her eyes in excitement when Devon's struggles grew fainter and fainter then totally stopped. Dancing close to him like this felt like heaven. She didn't care what happened afterward, Sylvia just didn't want time to stop. She wanted to dance with Devon this way for eternity. Her eyes slowly opened and as she saw his face she vowed that she could not let him slip from her grasp. It may take awhile but she was going to make Preventor Agent Devon Tanisius hers. Looking up at the hardness in his features, feeling the strength in his arms, hearing his heart beating strongly in his chest, Sylvia Rene Noelle Noventa; Thirteenth Baroness of the Noventa Barony and Vice Foreign Minister to the entire Earth Sphere United Nations knew one thing. She was truly, madly, and deeply in love with Devon Tanisius. Waking up to that realization, Sylvia did the only thing she thought she could, the next time Devon looked down at her with his pursed lips, she stretched up on her to her full five foot eleven inch height and pressed her lipstick covered lips to Devon's strong and unwilling ones.

At first she felt his resistance as he realized what she was doing. Sylvia didn't care about that. She didn't care about what others thought. She just wanted Devon to know what she was feeling. Continuing in her effort, she was about to give it up for naught when she felt the resistance from his lips fade and acceptance replace it. Devon didn't know why he was doing what he was doing but he couldn't stop. No matter how hard his mind told his body to relinquish its grip on the VFM, it was overridden by the feelings that were coursing through him that he couldn't explain even to himself.

Outside, the last remaining sniper from Devon's Delta Team and his assistant team leader looked through his scope through the window. Seeing what was going on, Preventor Eagle smiled. It was about time that his headstrong team leader and his charge moved their relationship to the next level. In the months since the return of the Yuy's and Peacecrafts and Devon's assignment as a member of the VFM's Protective Detail, Eagle could see that the young shooter had some sort of feelings for the VFM but didn't know how to express them. Devon had always been too loud in his protests of his being assigned to that detail. He was still the leader of Preventor Sniper Team Delta but being on that detail occasionally interfered with his job as team leader and Eagle found himself picking more and more of the slack as Tabris' assistant. Lifting his eyes from his scope and unloading his rifle so he could case it and put it away, Preventor Eagle nodded.

'Maybe now he can get the chance to take a break. That young man is run so ragged around here I'm surprised he hasn't stressed out already. Either he doesn't stress too much or he's heading for a major breakdown. Hopefully it's the former and not the latter.", said Eagle to himself.

"Did you say something sir?", asked Eagle's rookie spotter.

"No I didn't. Now let's get all this equipment broken down and put away. It's too late for an old shooter like me to be up.", said Eagle.

As his spotter grumbled, Eagle reached down and picked up the thermos that had been sitting on the ground. Opening the top, he smelled the scent of his still warm coffee. Taking a sip, Eagle looked up at the stars. They seemed brighter than usual now

"Ahh, now that's good coffee."

The young spotter looked at his shooter and shook his head. He hoped to never get assigned to the same team as this guy. It seemed that Preventor Eagle ran on nothing but coffee.

Back in the ballroom, Devon and Sylvia swayed gently to the music as their lips remained locked together. Unbeknownst to them, not all of the press had left the ballroom. Granted that most of the important press and all of the tabloid reporters had left to file their stories, one network reporter and her camera crew were just packing up their equipment. With the majority of guests gone, the reporter and her crew were in no hurry. One of the anchors had been at the ball and had already given his report. She had remained to see if she could still get some video of the last few guests. The reporter had already placed her notepad into her case when the camera man hissed in her direction. She was going to read him the riot act when he pointed towards the dance floor at the VFM and her escort. When she saw the pair locked in their kiss, she stage whispered to the camera guy to get a video of the couple.

"I'm getting it, I'm getting it!", he whispered back.

"Good, please tell me you can get a freeze frame of this."

"Don't worry I did. You can print it out later."

The reporter smiled, she had just scooped every other reporter there was. There had been rumors of a relationship between the VFM and this member of her protection detail ever since he had been assigned. Heck in some cases, there were rumors before he even became part of her detail that this Preventor and the Vice Foreign Minister had some sort of relationship ever since the picture snapped during the shooting competition four months previous. Hurriedly finishing her packing and begging off another sound bite, the reporter grabbed the camera man and told him to finish packing his gear.

"But, I can still get some more pictures.", he protested.

"Dammit not now, we have enough and I don't want them to catch you filming. You know what'll happen then.", she snapped.

The camera guy did. Last time something like this had gotten caught on film, the Preventors had confiscated every little bit of tape that camera crew had and hit them with some serious sanctions. In addition the network that employed that crew lost their press passes for six months. He wasn't going to loose his equipment for something like that. The cameraman finished packing up his gear in a hurry and followed his reporter out into the cool evening. Looking at his watch he saw that it was nearing 2 am.

Back on the dance floor, the music was coming to a stop and Devon and Sylvia were pulling away from each other. They looked at each other as if in a daze before snapping back to reality. Devon pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and slowly wiped the pink lipstick off of his lips while looking at a blushing Sylvia. Both muttered excuses and apologies to each other before they realized where they were and what time it was. Devon looked at his watch and cursed. It was way later than he had planned to be. Turning to Sylvia he formally bowed and extended his arm.

"Madam Vice Foreign Minister it is late and you have a couple of early morning meetings tomorrow. As of now we can no longer guarantee your safety.", stated Devon quietly.

Sylvia heard what her escort was really trying to say and agreed. It was later than her itinerary had planned for her to be here. Accepting Devon's arms and allowing him to subtly hurry out of the ballroom, she said her goodnights to those who were left. Once outside the ballroom and waiting for the government limo, Sylvia started to talk but Devon shook his head and told her to wait till they were in the car. Reactivating his headset ear piece and accessing the channel for the honor guard, he ordered them to be ready to hustle the Vice Foreign Minister into the car when it arrived.

When the big four door car arrived, Devon waited a second after the door was opened to scan the area before hurrying Sylvia out the door, down the red carpet, and into the limo. As they passed each pair of honor guard members, they fell into a protective shield behind the VFM. By the time Sylvia had climbed into the car there were ten Preventors blocking anyone's attempt on her life. Once the door was closed behind Devon, he ordered the driver to pull away regularly but once they were away to make all due speed towards Noventa Manor using the evasive driving techniques he had been trained in.

Well away from the ballroom and fairly close to Noventa Manor, Devon told their driver to slow down to the posted limit. When the driver acknowledged the order, Devon raised the privacy curtain between the passenger compartment and the drivers' compartment. Once it was up and secure, the Preventor activated the devices that vibrated the bullet resistant and double pained glass to defeat microphones and lasers that could eavesdrop on conversations in buildings and cars not equipped with that feature.

When it was confirmed that all of the anti-bugging devices in the car were working and he was sure that the conversation he was about to have with the vice foreign minister was going to be private, Devon turned to Sylvia and his let his facial expression ask the question. Sylvia had watched in silence as her bodyguard made all the arrangements needed to keep this conversation as confidential as he could. She knew the driver could be trusted to not turn on the speaker and listen in on the conversation himself (that was a good way to get himself dropped from the Preventors Executive Protection and Transportation Program. It was also a damn near sure fire way to either get transferred away from headquarters or terminated from the Preventors permanently).

Once he was sure that the back of the limo was secure, Devon leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Devon contemplated the possible aftereffects of what had transpired between the vice foreign minister and himself at the end of the fall ball.

_**"This can't be happening! It cannot be happening! Damn her for her actions. I could lose my security clearance over this. Shit!"**, ran the thoughts in Devon's mind. _

Opening his eyes, Devon knew that there was only one course of action he could take. In the morning he was going to call Yuy and have him removed from Vice Foreign Minister Noventa's Protection detail. If Yuy wouldn't take him off the team, Devon could request to be on the team in his usual capacity as a sniper.

_**"And if the bastard doesn't grant my request, I will just go over his head and ask the commander to take me off the bodyguard detail and just keep me on as the team sniper."**, Devon continued thinking. _

Satisfied at his decision, the sniper turned to Sylvia. Before he could say anything, she beat him to the punch.

"I know it was wrong of me to do what I did, but I just couldn't help myself. Ever since the competition, I've had feelings towards you but didn't know how to express them. After Ms. Relena and the others returned home, I was able to bury those feelings with my duties as Relena's vice foreign minister. I thought I gotten over those feelings until you joined my protection team. With all of the traveling to different colonies that we've done my feelings have grown. Even when you were with your spotter looking out for my safety, I could feel your eye on me as you looked through the scope. I've tried to deny the fact those feelings were getting stronger. When I found out that you were going to be my escort to the ball, I screamed for joy. I went out and bought a new dress just for tonight. A dress I only wanted to wear just for you. Even as I was getting ready I was still trying to deny my feelings. I…. I….. I just got tired of denying those feelings.", said Sylvia faintly.

Devon was in a quandry. He didn't know what to do. The speech he had prepared to give her had gone out the window with her confession about her feelings for him and how she had tried to deny them for four long months. Speechless, Devon just looked at the woman beside him in the car. Not hearing anything from Devon, Sylvia continued trying to explain but couldn't find the words. Looking down, she waited for his judgment. She started when he spoke.

"Sylvia, I don't know what to say."

"Do you have feelings for me, Devon?", asked a hopeful Sylvia.

"That's just it, I don't know if I have feelings for you or not. Granted there is something there but I couldn't tell you what it was."

In his mind, Devon was rapidly going over both the good and the bad about being with the vice foreign minister. Sylvia could see it in his eyes that his mind wasn't made up either way and it was creating one helluva moral dilemma for the sniper. Before anything could be said, the chauffer knocked on the passenger window. Surprised, both Devon and Sylvia looked out and saw that they had arrived at Noventa Manor.

"Preventor Tabris, Baroness Noventa we've arrived at the manor.", said their chauffer.

Realizing that they had made it to the destination, Devon unlocked the door and allowed the chauffer to open it. Exiting the four door sedan first, Devon reverted to his role as bodyguard (much to Sylvia's dismay. But she understood his reason). Looking up the walkway, he saw that the Noventa's butler Thomas was waiting expectantly at a respectful distance from the car. Turning back and extending his hand, Devon helped the VFM climb out of the vehicle. Once she was standing by his side, Devon turned to the chauffer and thanked him for his work and dismissed him. The Preventor driver closed the door and returned to driver's side before climbing in and pulling off.

Sylvia observed Devon as he watched the car make its way down the driveway and out on to the residential street. When it had disappeared from sight, Sylvia sighed and turned towards the beckoning door. Greeting the butler as she entered the foyer, Sylvia slipped off her shoes and sighed again. This time her sigh was one of relief, she was happy to be out of those dammed dress shoes. Taking the shoes in her hand, Sylvia asked Thomas to make some coffee and set it out on the patio.

"Yes milady. The baroness summons you to her study in the morning to discuss the ball.", stated Thomas.

Sylvia groaned, her grandmother didn't want to discuss whether she enjoyed the ball or not. She wanted to talk to Sylvia about anything she overheard from others at the ball. The young baroness told the butler to let her grandmother know that she would be there after she woke up. Then indicating the Preventor standing just outside the door, Sylvia asked that Thomas show him to the patio while she changed out of her dress.

"But Vice Foreign Minister Noventa, I thank you for the coffee but I can't stay.", protested Devon as Sylvia started up the stairs.

"Nonsense Agent Tanisius, the coffee while keep you alert as you travel home."

"I'm fine. I can make it home."

"Sir, even if you are it would not be wise for you to turn down the vice foreign ministers' invitation.", insisted Thomas with a trace of warning in is voice.

Devon caught the trace and grew wary. Casually shifting his position, he undid the button on his dress uniform coat and crossed his arms. Even though he did it as smoothly as he could, the move didn't go unnoticed by the butler. Devon observed as the butler shifted his own position and marveled at how smooth it was done.

_**"He did that so smoothly and naturally that I almost didn't catch it. This man is no mere butler. He's had some extensive bodyguard training. He did that move smoother than I ever could.",** thought Devon._

For his part, Thomas caught the slight narrowing of Devon's eyes and realized that the young man had seen his posture shift. He silently applauded the young man for noticing and it gave him a slight thrill.

_**"This young one is observant. He saw me move. How refreshing, most people even if they are trained don't notice things like that. I can see in his eyes that he is reevaluating me and wondering what kind of threat I could present.", **mused Thomas._

For a moment the two men stood there waiting to see who was going to make the next move. Relaxing from his posture, Thomas turned his back on Devon and started to walk away.

"Please follow me Agent Tanisius. We mustn't keep the young baroness waiting.", said the butler as he led the younger man deeper into the Noventa Manor.

Devon stayed a few steps back from the butler, making sure that if the older man meant to do him harm Devon would be out of arm's reach. Following the older man through the house, Devon subconsciously made a mental map of the place just in case he had to find his way out in a hurry.

Thomas led Devon through the house to a small patio off the main patio and indicated that the younger man should sit at the table and wait for the VFM.

"Baroness Sylvia will be with you shortly. Please wait here."

Devon nodded and waited for the butler to leave before he took a seat. Glancing at his watch he saw that it was nearing four thirty in the morning. Deciding to drink one cup of coffee before making his excuses, Devon figured he would be home by around six and that would give him enough time to get some sleep before going to deal with his sister and brother. Devon was so caught up in his own thoughts that he barely heard the whisper of fabric behind him. Thinking that the butler had returned with the coffee, Devon didn't turn around.

Sylvia knew that Devon had heard her come out onto the patio. The attitude of his head told her that he thought that it was Thomas coming out with the coffee so he continued to look out over the backyard. As she stepped further out onto the patio a soft wind blew past and carried the lingering scent of her perfume towards the man sitting in the chair. Sylvia saw Devon stiffen as her scent registered. She saw him rise up from his seat and turn in her direction. Sylvia stood still when she saw Devon notice her. Hearing his sudden inhalation of breath told Sylvia that the sniper had done more than just notice her. He had noticed what she was wearing.

When Sylvia had gone up the stairs to change clothes, she didn't know what to put on. After slipping out of her dress, Sylvia had been reaching for a pair of shorts to put on with a t-shirt. Opening one of her middle drawers she had instead reached for a pair of translucent blue cotton harem pants instead. Before she knew it Sylvia had stepped into the pants and matched them to a soft cotton strapless halter top. The combination left her stomach bare and was quite fetching. Not satisfied with just fetching, Sylvia had gone over to her closet and pulled out a sleeveless, transparent, full-length robe made out of satin. The young baroness slid her arms through the arm holes and settled the garment on her bare shoulders. After putting on a pair of soft moccasin-style house shoes, she touched up her full lips with a coral lipstick and reapplied the perfume she had been wearing during the ball.

Devon was dumbstruck at the approaching vision of loveliness. As he watched, the moonlight struck Sylvia and her robe shimmered, giving her a nearly ethereal look. Something deep inside of Devon snapped and he started looking at Sylvia in a new light. Devon knew that what he was feeling wasn't love. He thought that it might be lust but it didn't feel like that either (and Devon should know what lust felt like; he'd lusted after a few women during the time before he joined Preventors). Trying to define this new feeling and having no success Devon gave a low growl. Sylvia heard it and approved. At least he was looking at her with a male appreciation that she reveled in.

The young baroness walked slowly up to her bodyguard and placed one delicate hand on his firm chest. He allowed it to rest there and she felt his heart speed up. Sylvia could feel her body temperature rising like a rocket just from the simple contact. Since Devon hadn't removed her hand, Sylvia felt that she could take the contact between them to the next level. Gazing deep into his eyes, she gently pushed Devon till the back of his legs met the chair he had just vacated. When he stopped, she slowly trailed her hand from his chest to his shoulder, exulting in the feel of his firm chest underneath the woolen jacket and khaki cotton shirt. Once her hand was on his shoulder, Sylvia exerted a slight pressure and gently shoved him down into his seat.

Once Devon was seated Sylvia leaned over and allowed him a tantalizing glimpse of her creamy breasts. Still leaning over the seated man, she let one finger from her hand lift his chin up so that he was again looking her in the eye. When she found the angle she wanted, Sylvia bent down and pressed her lips to his. Again she felt his strong resistance and again she held the kiss till the resistance ceased and the kiss was returned with the same gentleness.

When Sylvia was sure Devon's attention was on the kiss, she wrapped her arms around his neck and lowered herself till she perched on his knee. To keep her lips locked to his while she perched herself on his leg, she turned her body till she was at an angle to his body.

As she lowered himself to her perch on his leg, Devon unconsciously lifted his arms till they were comfortably supporting the young vice foreign minister. He felt her wriggle her bottom till she felt secure with her perch. When she stopped moving, Devon let the intoxicating taste of her lips take him to another plane of existence.

**_Cue: 'Take my Breath Away' by Berlin_**

Who knows how far the passion being shown by Devon and Sylvia could have gone if the butler hadn't announced his return with the requested coffee with the clearing of his throat. Startled, the two young people jerked away from each other. Sylvia jerked back so fast that she almost toppled off of her perch on Devon's leg. Reacting slightly slower than his usual cat-like reflexes because of the debilitating kiss, it took Devon almost a full second to tighten his grip and keep Sylvia from tumbling to the hard ground. Hearing her gasp at the sudden intrusion, Devon kept his tight grip on Sylvia before casting a penetrating glare at the butler.

_**"Dammit, he almost caused me to drop the baroness! What's his fucking problem?",** fumed Devon as he eased his grip o Sylvia just a bit. _

When her rescuer had eased his grip enough to allow her to move, Sylvia had quietly cursed at the interruption. With the spoiling of the moment, Sylvia knew that she wasn't going to get another chance to kiss Devon tonight. As he had pulled his lips away, she had felt him withdraw from her emotionally. Turning around to face the butler, the vice foreign minister resettled herself on Devon's leg and tried to show her displeasure. Unfortunately, her display of pique didn't find its intended audience. Thomas had placed the carafe of coffee in the center of the table and was efficiently setting out porcelain cups, the sweetener, and the creamer. Not even deigning to acknowledge his mistress' present precarious position, Thomas placed everything within reach on the same side of the table as they were presently on. When everything was situated just right, Thomas faced Sylvia and bowed courteously.

"Your coffee is ready madam. I shall withdraw unless you need me for anything else.", stated Thomas.

"No Thomas, that is all. You can go ahead and retire for what is left of the evening. ", returned Sylvia with a wave of her arm.

Devon watched the interplay between the two without saying anything. In his mind he was debating whether to accept Sylvia's unspoken invitation or to decline the invitation and retreat for now. The professional part of his mind was telling him to gracefully back away from the situation while the part of him that was a full blooded male was demanding he accept the invitation and damn the consequences. Sylvia wasn't helping his mental abilities because of her apparel and because of her present perch on his leg. He looked at her now as she reached over to the table and poured herself a cup of coffee and sweetened it with sugar and a few drops of creamer. As Devon watched Sylvia take a delicate sip from her coffee cup, his libido screamed at him to take her up on her offer. In the end, the professional part of Devon persevered and he chose to make a graceful exit after one cup of coffee.

As she sipped from her cup, Sylvia realized that Devon was getting close to making a decision. She was hoping he would make the decision she wanted. Her heart thudded in her chest as she waited for the words she wanted to hear. When she felt the arm that she was leaning against shift position she rejoiced. However her joy was short-lived when the hand attached to the arm reached past her and picked up the coffee pot. Hiding her despair, Sylvia watched as Devon's hand poured some of the coffee into the cup before returning the pot to its resting place. Turning her attention to the stars above, she railed at the heavens for denying her wishes this night. Sliding off of Devon's leg, Sylvia made her way to the chair sitting across from her objective thus allowing him to drink his coffee.

Devon took his time with the coffee as he thought on what to say to extricate himself from his predicament. Lost in thought, the young sniper didn't hear the woman across from him clear her throat till she started to speak.

"Devon, I would appreciate it if you could stay and watch the sunrise with me this morning.", said Sylvia hopefully.

He heard her hope and almost grimaced. Devon knew that Sylvia was trying to extend their time together so she could attempt to seduce him with her kisses again. He didn't know if he could resist her again if she did attempt the seduction. This time he squashed his libido before it had a chance to change his words.

"With all do respect Vice Foreign Minister Noventa; regretfully I can't stay and share the sunrise with you. I have a few things that I need to take care of today. I thank you for the coffee but once I finish my cup, I must leave so I may get enough sleep to carry out my business. I've had a great evening baroness, but I now must bid you good night."

Sylvia put up a good front but Devon could see that inside she was about to break down. The look in her eyes almost made him change his mind but he reasserted his control over his libido with a noticeable tension. Sylvia nodded at his words and her heart fell even more.

"I see. Well in that case, enjoy your coffee Agent Tanisius. Thomas will see you out when you are finished."

"Thank you Vice Foreign Minister. I shall see you on Monday."

Sylvia reverted to her official persona with Devon's words and nodded. The next few passed in silence with only the sound of the two drinking their coffee filtering through the air. Devon finished first and rose from his seat. Inclining his head in respect, the sniper turned to the entryway and the waiting butler. Once at the door, he cast a look over his shoulder and saw that Sylvia was gazing towards the east. Shaking his head again, Devon faced forward and followed Thomas towards the front door. Behind him, Sylvia sat and studiously ignored his footsteps till they faded completely. Listening for the sound that would signify that Devon had truly left, Sylvia heard it. When the sound of Devon's jeep starting up echoed from the front, Sylvia dropped her official persona and let the tears flow. She was still sitting on the porch sobbing when Thomas returned. Turning to the older man, she wrapped her arms around his neck and let the tears come even harder.

"I don't know why but I feel as if my heart is breaking.", sobbed Sylvia.

Thomas allowed the young noblewoman to dampen his coat with her tears. He worried for the young baroness and was angered at the way her escort had acted. Thomas had just arrived at the door with the coffee service when he saw the kiss between his young charge and her escort for the evening. For a moment the elderly butler had thought that the young man was going to stay the night with the baroness, however when they broke for air, the former Alliance Special Forces operator had seen the agent clamp down on the emotions that had flowed freely from him seconds before. Part of Thomas had been relieved at the polite declining of the baroness' offer. Thomas had watched Sylvia grow from a headstrong kid to a morose teen, to a beautiful young woman. He knew or suspected that the Thirteenth Noventa Baroness wasn't a virgin but he held out hope that she would wait till marriage. The other part of his mind was cursing out the young callous Preventor in every language he knew. Sylvia had practically thrown herself at the man and he had rejected her. Thomas saw that the young Preventor had fought a mental battle before making his decision and that made the elderly butler respect the young man for not taking advantage of the situation.

"Do you love him?", asked Thomas as he patted Sylvia on her back.

"Yes I love him with all of my heart. I love him so much that there are times when he is all that I think about. I'm constantly fighting the temptation to publicly chase after him. I know that it would cause a scandal and I don't want to mar Ms. Relena's tenure as foreign minister with my falling in love with my bodyguard.", answered a sniffling Sylvia.

Thomas thought for a moment then asked a question.

"Didn't Foreign Minister Yuy do the same thing with her bodyguard?"

"Yes, but in Ms. Relena's case her and Mr. Yuy knew each other from the First Gundam War and he rescued her from Marimaia during the Second Gundam War. After that conflict he disappeared and Ms. Relena was so depressed that it came very close to affecting the entire Earth Sphere. When Yuy returned after two years away and joined Relena's protection detail, she was ecstatic and they kept their relationship a very closely guarded secret. The situation between me and Agent Tanisius is different. From our chance meeting at the competition months ago and the picture that was taken, the entire Earth Sphere is speculating on whether or not we do have such a relationship."

Thomas nodded and waited for Sylvia to continue. She let go of him and stood up. Reaching into his pocket and pulling out a crisp white handkerchief, Thomas handed it to Sylvia and averted his gaze as she wiped the dried up tears out of her eyes. Waving her off with a gloved hand when she tried to return it, Thomas indicated that she should continue her story.

"This morning in the meeting I attended I couldn't keep my eyes off of him and when my social secretary informed me that Preventor Tanisius had been assigned as my escort to the ball I rejoiced. At the end of the ball I couldn't help myself and allowed my fantasy to run away and kissed him. He returned it but I can't be sure if he meant to return it or if he was just going along. Oh Thomas, what should I do? I love Devon so much and it torments my dreams."

"Milady, give it some time. Preventor Tanisius has feelings for you. He just has to sort them out. Sooner or later He'll realize his feelings and will return to you. Or he might come to you to help him with his feelings. From what I saw his emotions are fighting a battle and he doesn't know which emotions to follow, his head or his heart. Give him some time. You may be surprised. Now young lady, off to bed with you; you still have a breakfast meeting with your grandmother in a few hours. Dream good dreams tonight and you never know, one of your dreams might come true."

Sylvia thought for a moment on the elderly butlers' words and gave him a wan smile. Thanking him for his advice, she made her way towards the stairs. At the foot of the stairs, Sylvia stopped and turned. Thomas had called and now he was conspiratorially whispering. She had to listen hard to hear what he was saying.

"Next time milady, wear your complete harem set for young Preventor Tanisius. Your evening might have a different ending."

Sylvia blushed and hurried up the staircase so the old butler couldn't see her crimson face. Darting into her room, Sylvia slowed down and glanced around. For a moment her imagination flashed her mind an image of tangled sheets and sweat soaked pillows. The image disappeared before she could be properly embarrassed by it. Walking over to her bed, Sylvia doused the lights. Climbing into the bed and snuggling under the covers, Sylvia allowed herself to think about the advice from Thomas. Mentally vowing that next time she had Preventor Tanisius alone, the outcome was going to be different.

Minutes later, Vice Foreign Minister Sylvia Rene Noelle Noventa was asleep with a soft smile on her face as she dreamed of a certain dark haired, milk chocolate skinned Preventor sniper with the dark brown eyes hidden by glasses whose lenses transitioned from light to dark.

Across town, Devon was pulling his jeep into its assigned spot at his apartment complex. Shutting off the engine, the emotionally confused sniper sat in the vehicle and wondered what he was going to do. Opening his door, Devon wearily climbed out and stretched. Closing the door and setting the alarm system, Devon turned and headed for the stairs that would take him to his apartment. Unlocking the front door; Devon stumbled into his darkened room. A blast of cold air reminded him that he had left the air conditioner on.

"Aww dammit, now I'm going to freeze my balls off as I sleep.", growled Devon as he shut the a/c off.

Walking across the living room to the dining room, Devon stripped out of his dress uniform and discarded the parts on the floor. He'd pick them up tomorrow. Right now he was too damn tired. Entering his kitchen and flipping on the light, Devon picked his way to a cabinet next to the fridge. Reaching up and pulling the cabinet door open with his left hand, Devon reached in with his right and pulled out a full bottle of scotch. Closing the door and going back across the cold kitchen floor, he turned out the light and headed for his desk. Dropping into the cushioned chair, Devon rotated it till it faced the window. Once he could look out at the night, he twisted the top off of the bottle and brought it too his lips. Taking a big swig Devon let the alcohol race a fiery path to his stomach.

'What am I going to do about this new complication in my life?", mused Devon as chugged some more scotch.

Debating what to do, Devon stayed up drinking from the bottle till the sun rose. When the bottle was empty, Devon got up and dropped the empty bottle in the garbage can. Staggering out of the office due to the booze and his wild emotions, Devon made his way to his bedroom. Leaving the light off and making sure the blinds were closed; the drunken sniper stumbled up and fell into his bed. Covering his head with his pillow, Devon passed out.

It was eleven o'clock the morning after the fall ball and Adrienne Tanisius was lounging around the pool. Wearing a midnight black one piece swimsuit, she sat in the chaise lounge and flipped a page in the book she was reading. Ever since she and Morgan had left the ball, Adrienne had been thinking about what Devon had said as they shared a dance. In the limo home, she had ignored Morgan's questions as her mind wrapped itself around Devon's words. When they arrived home, Morgan remembered he had a date and had gone to bed shortly after they had gotten in. Too amped up to sleep, Adrienne had climbed the stairs to her bedroom and changed from her dress into one of her formfitting workout suits. For the next three hours, she had worked on in the gym trying to tire herself out so she could sleep. Around four AM, she had stripped out of her clothes, wrapped a towel around her naked body and entered the sauna to relax. It was after her stint in the sauna that Adrienne finally went to bed. Not caring about changing into an old pair of shorts and a ripped t-shirt, the oldest Tanisius child had dropped her towel on the floor of her bedroom and climbed into bed naked.

Waking up a couple of hours ago, Adrienne had come downstairs and cooked a small breakfast for herself and Morgan. He had come downstairs yawning and scratching at some imagined itch on his chest. After breakfast, Morgan had returned to his room and jumped in the shower. He had planned to spend the day cruising before heading off for his date. Adrienne had said okay and reminded him to not be late in getting home.

Now sitting on the lounge, Adrienne put down her book and got up. Striding to the diving board with the grace of a stalking tiger, she climbed up and dove in. Swimming a few laps in the pool, Adrienne sat on the steps in the shallow end and looked up at the sky. Climbing out of the pool, she shook off the excess water and made her way back to her seat. Adrienne was interrupted by the ringing of the phone.

"Ah, the phone call I've been waiting for.", murmured Adrienne as she wrapped a short terry cloth robe around her wet body and made her way into the house.

The video phone hung on the wall next to the sliding glass door. Reaching out with her left hand as she entered, Adrienne activated the device. The face that appeared on the screen was a younger, darker version of her own.

"Morning Jordan, how're your classes going?", asked Adrienne as she plopped down on one of the counter stools.

Nineteen year old Jordan Victoria Tanisius glared at her older sister. She had just arrived back in her dorm room after a tough test in her calculus class.

"Look at me and take one guess, Addy. I've had a helluva morning and the rest of the day isn't looking good either.", snapped Jordan.

Adrienne heard the hated nickname and let it slide. Nothing could put a damper on the mood she was in now. When the expected explosion didn't come, Jordan looked closer at her older sister. Something about Adrienne had changed and whatever the change was it was a good one. Deciding to let her sister talk, Jordan dropped onto her couch, kicked off her shoes, and propped her feet up on the coffee table. Adrienne saw that her sister was wearing a skirt and blouse and gave Jordan a slight glare that told the younger girl that she didn't particularly care about her posture. Jordan saw the glare and sighed. Removing her feet from the table, she crossed her legs.

"Yeah, yeah I know Adrienne I know. Cut me a little slack willya, I've had a hard time today."

Before Adrienne could answer, the phone buzzed with an incoming call. Activating the video conference feature of the phone, Adrienne watched as her screen split down the middle. Jordan appeared on the left side while it took a minute for the right side to focus. When it did, Adrienne got irked. It seemed that Owen wasn't calling from his place on L-4. That guess was confirmed when a pair of light grey eyes and a flash of cornstarch blonde hair flashed into the camera's view. Both Jordan and Adrienne sighed in resignation. Owen was visiting the Winner Family Compound in the company of his girlfriend Fatima Dinarzade Winner.

_**"Oh great, this is just friggin swell. Owen just had to be visiting Fatima.", **fumed Adrienne. _

Within minutes the screen cleared and the face of twenty-three year old Owen Rupert Tanisius appeared. Although not before a flash of blonde hair and creamy tanned skin appeared on the screen. Jordan chuckled while Adrienne slowly counted to fifty. Owen saw his sisters and spoke.

"Hey Jordan, hiyas Adrienne what's going on?", asked Owen with a brotherly grin on his face.

"Yo, Owen, it seems like we caught you at a bad time. Hi Fatima!", chirruped Jordan.

"Oh, hey Jordan how're classes going. Hello Adrienne, how are you doing?", asked Fatima as she reappeared on screen with her sheets wrapped around her lithe body.

With the clarity of the camera, Adrienne could see that underneath the sheet, Fatima was nude. Sighing and shaking her head, she greeted the woman who would probably end up being her sister-in-law in a few years. Once the pleasantries were done with, Adrienne asked Fatima if she would mind letting Owen speak with her and Jordan alone for a bit.

"It's about family business Fatima. I apologize but you know how it goes.", stated Adrienne.

"Yeah Adrienne, I do know how it goes. It's no problem. I understand. I hope I'll get the chance to talk to you later.", replied the youngest Winner daughter.

Adrienne sighed then watched as Fatima kissed Owen on the lips and muttered something in his ear that had him grinning in anticipation. Owen turned and watched his lover exit the room before turning back to the monitor. Switching to his native language, he asked Adrienne what was up. Before answering, Adrienne pressed a button that scrambled the call on Owen's end. Therefore if any of the Winners' communications security personnel decided to listen in, they would hear nothing but static. Once the elder Tanisius was sure everything was secure, only then did she start talking.

"Owen, Jordan knows this already but I'm on Earth right now."

"I see. Interesting, anything good going on down there?", asked Owen.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact there was. Last night Morgan and I went to the Merchants Association Fall Ball. Tanisius Security Technologies LTD received an award that I accepted on behalf of the company. Vice Foreign Minister Noventa was there."

Both Jordan and Owen heard the tone of spite in their sister's voice and remembered how Adrienne didn't much care for the new VFM. They nodded and waited for her to continue. Adrienne obliged them and continued with her story

"The ball was pretty good although they had so much security in the place it was hard to not spot them."

"What did you expect, Addy, the second most powerful woman in the E.S.U.N. was in attendance.", came Owen's bored voice.

Adrienne glowered at her brother.

"Dammit, you're the third person I've had to tell this Owen. My name is Adrienne, not Addy. _Don't Ever Call Me Addy, Again!_ I had to tell Morgan that last night and told Jordan the same thing several months ago. Jeez, can't my own brothers and sisters get my name right.", snapped Adrienne.

Unlike Jordan and Morgan, Owen was capable of snapping back at Adrienne when she got this way. This time he let it drop. It did no good to argue with Adrienne, she could be very vindictive. After taking a deep breath, Adrienne again continued with her story.

"Even though I wasn't particularly interested in VFM Noventa, I did find her escort pretty interesting."

"How interesting, Adrienne?', asked Jordan.

"I'll let you decide on your own. I'll give him a call."

Adrienne enjoyed the look of confusion on the faces of her brother and sister and listened to them talk back and forth as she dialed the phone number that had mysteriously found its way into her purse.

Across town, Devon was trying to ignore the ringing phone. He was hung over and had a massive headache. Devon knew that his headache was not completely alcohol caused. Cursing a blue streak, Devon climbed out of bed and went to answer the phone. On his way up front, he stopped by the medicine cabinet in the bathroom to down a couple of headache pills and chase them with some tap water. Checking the caller ID when he got to his phone, Devon groaned.

"I told her I'd be there this afternoon, why is she calling me this damn early in the morning.", snapped Devon as he answered the phone.

Devon was a bit slow on the uptake when the screen on his monitor split into three smaller screens, each with one of his siblings visible. The hung over sniper only paid scant attention to the two screens on the left and right and focused his gaze on the person in the middle.

"Whaddya want Addy? I'm hung over and have a massive headache. I thought I told you that I would be by later."

It was only when he heard the gasps of surprise that he focused his attention on the two other screens. On the screen to his left, was the image of his older brother Owen. On the screen to his right was his younger sisters' image. Shaking his head and regretting it, he felt intense pain.

"Owen, Jordan. Can I call you back when I make it over to the house? Right now I have a problem I have to work on and a helluva hangover. It's nice to see you both again. Addy, I'll deal with you later."

"Wait, don't hang up!", shouted Jordan.

Devon sighed and took his finger off the disconnect button. He was hoping Adrienne would wait till he made his way over to the family compound before she contacted their siblings and ultimately their parents.

"Jordan. I'm happy to see you again and I know it's been sixteen long years since we last talked. If I didn't have this hangover I would gladly talk with you and Owen and get caught up. However, I have something very important that I have to think about and I also have a massive headache. I love you both but right now I really need to sleep off this hangover. I missed all of you over the years. But for the moment and with my job, I can't acknowledge the family just yet.", stated Devon.

Jordan and Owen were about to protest but Adrienne cut them off. She explained that the Preventors knew Devon as an only child orphaned by the First Gundam War. She also reminded them who the head of the Preventors was. Owen more so than Jordan realized that if the former Colonel Une knew that Devon was a member of the Tanisius family, she would do everything in she could up to and including dismissing Devon and making him Preventor enemy number one. Jordan asked why Une would do that.

"Jordan, there was a time when mom and dad were still active as assassins. Even during the First Gundam War our parents were occasionally given contracts to assassinate key members of both sides. Most of those contracts they accepted although they did decline one from Treize by way of Une. So she could still harbor a long seated grudge against them. Why do you think that mom and dad rarely leave our home colony these days and let either Owen or myself represent the family interests on Earth when needed? Hell, I wouldn't put it past Colonel Une to send the mystery assassin known as the panther after mom and dad if they ever came to Earth. Whoever he or she is would penetrate family security and kill our parents without so much as leaving a clue behind.", stated Adrienne.

Owen was about to deny that when Devon cut in.

"Sis, the panther wouldn't do that. He doesn't accept contracts that are based on personal revenge. When the panther accepts a contract, he does his research on both the contract target and the one giving the contract. Right now, the Panther isn't accepting any contracts. He's too busy with his own life.", stated Devon noncommittally.

"How would you know that, Devon?", asked Owen.

Devon sighed. To appease his family he was going to have to part with one of his most closely guarded secrets. Taking off his shirt-much to the interests of both Jordan and Adrienne- Devon allowed them to see the tattoo on the left sight of his chest. When he saw the confused glances of his siblings, he sighed again.

"As we all know, in the Tanisius family there is a tradition for a child upon his or her fourth birthday to receive a tattoo denoting our tribal ancestors. On her left chest Adrienne has a tigress, while Owen has a leopard. I don't know what is on either your chest Jordan or Morgan's chest because the two of you received your tattoos after I had been kidnapped.", Devon stated before Jordan interrupted him.

"I have a King Cheetah while Morgan has a Mountain Lion. What does that have to do with your tattoo?"

"If you had let me finish you would've seen what he connection is. On my chest, the tribal elders tattooed a panther. Now do you see what the connection is?"

Jordan and Adrienne didn't figure it out but Owen did. He looked at his brother with a new light in his eyes. Devon saw the look and nodded.

"I see that Owen has figured it out. I'm the assassin know as 'The Panther'. Or to use the media colloquialism, I'm the assassin known as 'Black Panther'."

His siblings were in shock. There was a silence on the line before an explosion of questions. Devon ducked some, answered others, and flat out refused to answer the rest. When Adrienne, Owen, and Jordan had calmed down, Devon went on to explain.

"Adrienne, how did you find me? Did you do research on the recent assassinations I've pulled or did you just guess?"

"I did follow the assassinations where the victim had been killed by a large caliber rifle bullet. But that was it. Everyone knew or suspected that you were going to be the rifle expert in the family. You can thank Jordan for the lead I received that sent me to Earth. If she hadn't been so interested in that damn shooting competition four months ago where that Noventa bitch moved into the top spot, I still wouldn't have a clue where you were. Jordan was finally able to catch the results the next day when she saw a news report about it and you appeared on camera for all of three seconds.", stated Adrienne with as a barely discernable tone of disdain emphasizing her last two sentences.

Some part of Devon seethed and it took all of his concentration to not explode at Adrienne's casual dismissal of the reason for his present emotional problems. Hoping that no one caught his lapse, he brought himself back to the conversation just in time to hear Jordan ask a question.

"Is Sylvia Noventa really that good a shot? And how did she win the competition?"

"Baroness Noventa is really that good a shot, Jordan. I was one of the judges in the open competition. That part ended with her in a tie for first place with Hazel Romaine. When news of the tie came out, it was decided that both Sylvia and Hazel would have a shoot off at an extreme range."

"Really, how extreme was the range?", asked Jordan with growing excitement.

"The range for their shoot off was decided at two thousand yards. And to keep everything even, they had too shoot a rifle neither of them were familiar with. Noventa and Romaine used one of my fifty caliber rifles to do the shoot off and I judged them.", finished Devon.

Turning his attention back to the bathrobe attired sister, Devon addressed her directly. His head was till pounding but not as bad as it had been. He still wanted to hurry up and get off the phone so he could grab some more sleep but he continued talking.

"Adrienne you should have studied all the data on rifle assassinations, rather than just the large caliber ones. You might have figured out that I was the panther a bit quicker.", stated Devon.

Adrienne thought back for a moment and nodded to herself. She shouldn't have restricted her information to just one form of rifle killings. She was about to say more when Devon grimaced and brought a hand up to his head. Adrienne realized that Devon was still slightly hung over. Cutting the conversation short, she allowed Devon to hang up so he could get some more sleep. Owen and Jordan were about to protest but a single gaze from their sister stopped the protests before they could be verbalized. After a few more minutes of conversation between the three of them; Adrienne, Jordan, and Owen broke their connection with each other.

On L-4 at the Winner Family compound, Owen looked at the blank video screen thoughtfully. Since it was his off day he was spending it with Fatima. Owen wondered what would happen if he could travel to Earth for a day just to see his brother. Lost in thought he didn't hear Fatima's soft foot steps and didn't know she had reentered the room until she reached around and grabbed him around his waist. He started a bit before recognizing the small hands and long fingers. Reaching down and taking a hold of Fatima's right hand, Owen lifted it up to his mouth and kissed the soft skin on the back of Fatima's hand.

"Is everything alright with your sisters' Owen?", asked Fatima quietly.

"Yes liefie, everything is fine. I'm just thinking about something.", answered Owen.

"What are you thinking about? If you don't mind telling me about it, I may be able to help."

"It's okay Fatima. I was just thinking about my brother Devon."

Fatima arched an eyebrow. Owen had mentioned his missing brother in passing several times before but would never go into much detail about him. Since they had met, she had been trying everything to find out more about Devon Tanisius. Fatima had even gone to the length of having the Maguanac Corps quietly look into the disappearance of Owen's brother. So far, they hadn't come up with much but they were still looking.

Feeling his distance, Fatima turned Owen around and wrapped her arms around his neck. They still had a bit of time before the time she needed to be getting ready for a meeting with Scheherazade, Iria, and some of their other sisters about the return of Quatre and Dorothy and their son. Fatima sighed as she remembered what the topic of the meeting was going to be. She knew that Schezy meant to bring up her relationship with Owen and start preparations for their wedding. The meeting was basically to find out what kind of wedding to prepare for. Scheherazade knew that whatever plans were made in the meeting were subject to approval by Quatre so she wanted to find a theme for Fatima's wedding to her boyfriend. Since there had been no theme for Quatre and Dorothy's wedding (Quatre had absolutely refused to have a theme for his wedding. That had led to a bitter argument between the oldest and youngest Winner children).

According to her information from Shayana and Dayana (a set of twins several years older than Fatima and Quatre but younger than Iria and Scheherazade), Schezy was angling for a desert princess theme for the wedding. Elder sister Schezy had also decreed that Fatima's wedding to Owen was tentatively scheduled for early the next year. Fatima knew however that according to family tradition, Owen would have to wait until after Adrienne was married before he could even propose. Fatima shook herself back to attention and found that her boyfriend was again lost in thought. Kissing him gently she started to lead him back to her bed.

"Owen, I still have about an hour of time to myself before I have to go to that dammed meeting and I would like to spend it wrapped in your arms.", she huskily whispered.

"Okay, Fatima. For the next hour I'm all yours. Your wish is my command.", replied Owen.

Fatima smiled at his words and slowly drew him down onto the silk sheets. Owen allowed himself to be pulled but in the back of his mind, he'd made a decision. When their time together was finished for now, he was going to Earth.

_**"I'll leave Fatima a note about what I plan to do when I leave. I can't stay on Earth too long, I still have to conduct the family business here on L-4.", **thought Owen before Fatima's fingers worked their magic and took him away on a pleasure filled trip to fulfillment. _

Back on Earth, Sylvia Noventa was hanging out by the manor pool trying to deal with her younger cousins. Sylvia's aunt and uncle had dropped by to see how the eleventh and thirteenth baronesses of the Noventa Barony were doing. Right now, her aunt and uncle were sitting at the patio table chatting about old times with her grandmother while three of her cousins were swimming, eating, and just making themselves a bit of a nuisance. The fourth cousin being closer to Sylvia's age than her three siblings was relaxing on the other lounge. At the moment, Dyane Noventa was asking her cousin where all the boys were.

"Dyane, as I've told you before I don't know where they are. I'm usually too busy to even go out and look.", stated Sylvia as she readjusted her sunglasses and lifted her nose out of the magazine she was reading.

"Oh come on Sylvia. If I had your looks I'd be out looking for Mr. Right every night.", said the twenty-year old Dyane Michelle Noventa.

Sylvia frowned. Dyane was a beauty in her own right. The cousins were the same height but where Sylvia was full-figured and blonde, Dyane was slender and dark-haired. Sylvia knew that Dyane was working as a mid-level manager in one of the local companies but didn't know which company Dyane worked for. Sylvia also knew that Dyane had an active social life of her own.

"I caught the news highlights from last nights' Fall Ball, cousin and I have to say your Preventor escort was cute. Do you think you could introduce me to him?", asked Dyane slyly.

"Preventor Tanisius is a very busy man, Dyane. I don't believe that with his work he would have time for a flighty, self-centered, social climbing she-wolf like yourself.", retorted Sylvia with an edge to her voice.

Dyane arched an eyebrow as her cousin resettled herself with her book. Ever since the photos from the shooting competition, Dyane had been interested in that Preventor. She had seen him in person around town a few times but had never had the guts to go up and ask him out. Her friends teased her about her crush. Several of Dyane's closest friends were Preventors, and they always kept Dyane up to date with gossip about the single sniper. None of Dyane's friends suspected that their friend was related to the present VFM (Dyane rarely told her friends her last name. She usually introduced herself as Dyane Jackson).

Since catching the news reports from the previous night, Dyane had been formulating a plan to get her cousin to introduce her to the object of her attention. Now listening to Sylvia get all official on her, she suspected that there was more to her cousin's relationship with this Agent Tanisius than Sylvia was willing to admit.

For her part, Sylvia was angry with herself for reacting like she did to Dyane's request. She didn't want her cousin to suspect that she was jealous of her interest. If she got a whiff that Sylvia was in love with her escort, Dyane would ruthlessly use that information to her advantage. Sylvia was rescued from more of Dyane's attempts to find out information about Devon by Thomas. The butler had walked up holding the phone.

"Phone call for you Vice Foreign Minister Noventa.", stated the elderly family retainer.

"Oh, who is it, Thomas?", asked Sylvia as she pulled her attention from her magazine.

"The call is from your office. The foreign ministers aide is holding."

Sylvia lifted an eyebrow in confusion. Why would Relena call her on one of their few off days? Getting up and wrapping herself in another of her robes' to cover her one piece swimsuit, Sylvia dropped her reading material on the table and heading inside.

"I'll take it in my office, Thomas. Thank you."

"You are welcome madam. I will transfer the call there once you have situated yourself."

Sylvia nodded and headed off into the house. Behind her, her cousin watched her leave before turning her attention to the butler standing next to her. Knowing she wouldn't get anything out of him, Dyane returned her attention to the romance novel she was reading after glancing at the pool to see if her younger brothers and sister were okay.

In the house, Sylvia entered her office and closed the door. Dropping into the chair behind her desk, she activated the video phone and answered the call. After informing the butler that she had the phone, Sylvia waited till he transferred the call to her office. When the screen cleared up and Relena's aide appeared, Sylvia activated the scrambler system just in case this call was about confidential information.

"Hello Maryanne, its Sylvia. You can connect me to the foreign minister now.", Sylvia told Relena's aide.

"Thank you Ms. Noventa. Give me a minute and I'll connect you."

Sylvia nodded as she wondered what Relena was calling about. She closed her eyes and relaxed as she waited for Relena to appear. It took a few minutes and Sylvia realized that Relena must be at her house on the grounds of Peacecraft Palace where Zechs and Noin stayed. If they ever wanted to get away from the palace, Relena and Heero had their own small mansion on the other side of town.

When Relena appeared, Sylvia opened her eyes and got ready to greet her boss. Before she could, Relena snapped at her.

"Have you seen the coverage from the Merchant's Association Fall Ball in today's paper Vice Foreign Minister Noventa?"

Sylvia was taken aback; she hadn't expected Relena to snap like that. Looking at the screen, the twenty-one year old vice foreign minister saw that the normal warm friendly smile had been replaced by a glare that could cut glass. Relena rarely frowned when talking to her friends and almost never glared. Wondering what had set the E.S.U.N. foreign minister off, Sylvia answered noncommittally.

"No, Foreign Minister Yuy I have not seen today's paper. What's going on?"

Relena sighed and some of the coldness vanished from her face. Flipping open to the page in question, she showed her deputy what she was talking about. The camera couldn't focus that well on the headline so Sylvia told Relena to hold on until she got a copy of the paper and saw it for herself.

"Don't bother Sylvia I can tell you what it boils down to. It seems that one of the network stringers and her cameraman were packing their gear up before they departed when the cameraman happened to film you and your escort, Preventor Tabris in a somewhat compromising position. Needless to say, when she went public with the picture everything went to hell in a handbasket."

"What do you mean, compromising position, Relena? All I did was dance with the man. What's wrong with that?", retorted Sylvia.

"According to the picture you did more than just dance with him Sylvia. How much did you have to drink last night?"

"What the hell kind of question is that, Relena? I didn't drink that much. Now quit beating around the damn bush and explain what you mean by a 'compromising position'."

As Sylvia waited for Relena to answer she pressed the button that called Thomas to her office. When he arrived, Sylvia wrote a quick note on a small sheet a paper asking him to get a copy of the day's paper. Thomas bowed his head in acquiescence and exited the office.

"The picture shows you kissing Preventor Tabris, thoroughly. Why did you do that when there was a reporter still there? Do you remember the furor from the public from the picture of you and him at the shooting competition? The majority of that had died down and was on its way to being forgotten. Now this photo comes out and reignites the controversy. Dammit Sylvia, I thought everyone had learned after all that Heero and I went through!"

Sylvia stated aghast at the monitor. A photographer caught her kissing Devon near the end of the ball. How did it happen, how was one reporter and her photographer overlooked? As she mused on that, Thomas reentered her office. In his hands was a copy of the morning paper. Sylvia waved him over and indicated that he should just put it on her desk and leave. On the monitor, Relena observed the interplay between her deputy and the butler.

"The photo is on page 5A. At least there isn't a story to go along with it. By later today I bet the paparazzi will be camped out in front of Noventa Manor. I suggest you increase the security at the manor. And I hope that Preventor Tanisius is no longer on Manor grounds.", stated Relena with a knowing look.

"No, Devon left early this morning after the limo brought us back. He stayed for a cup of coffee before leaving. I wish he had stayed for breakfast.", said Sylvia distractedly.

It took a second for Sylvia realized what she had just admitted to. Relena was too astute to not notice her attention lapse. Sylvia gave the monitor a worried glance and saw her boss shaking her head.

"Great, this could lead to another bloody scandal involving the ministry! A scandal made worse by your position in the nobility. It's a relief that Lady Une hasn't called me spitting, screaming, and swearing about your hormonal lapse in concentration so we might be able to head this off. What you need to do is have Tanisius call Une and request to be removed from your bodyguard detail. That may show the press and the public that your kissing him was inadvertent.", stated Relena in a tone of voice that told Sylvia that her boss had shifted to her political ass-covering mode.

"Relena, removing Tanisius from my protection team won't do any good. I know you must remember the shouts that came up when they tried the same thing with Heero when you were VFM and he was your bodyguard. In fact, removing Tanisius would send the signal that there **_is_** a relationship between him and I.", Sylva shot back while thinking about how much she wanted that fact to be true.

Relena thought about it for a moment then nodded. She asked Sylvia what she thought should be done. Sylvia said that Devon did need to get in touch with the head of the Preventors but after that it was up to Une to decide. Privately, Sylvia figured that if Devon could be taken off her bodyguard detail and left on her protection team in his usual position as sniper, things might work out. She didn't pass on her thoughts to Relena though. The other woman would see it exactly as it was; a ploy for Sylvia to keep Devon Tanisius in somewhat close proximity to herself. If she suspected that Sylvia wanted to keep Tanisius close, Relena would use her power and definitely have Devon removed from the Executive Protection Division.

_**"And with her husband as head of the EP Division, Relena would get her wish and I would get screwed out of my own perfect bodyguard. Damn you Relena!"**, fumed Sylvia. _

Not evincing a glimmer of her present poisonous thoughts, Sylvia listened to Relena as she war-gamed different scenarios of how the foreign ministry could play this out and keep the press from getting too negative. Several plans were considered then rejected because of different flaws that would put Relena, Sylvia, and the Foreign Ministry in a bad light. Finally Relena made a decision.

"For now, Sylvia, we'll keep things close to the vest and see how the press reacts to this news. They might start watching your personnel closer than usual. Just keep doing how you've been doing and maybe it will all go away.", stated Relena.

"I agree. Hopefully this will blow over and things can get back to normal.", added Sylvia.

Sylvia was about ready to hang up when she saw Relena covertly glancing around her home office at the palace to see if she was alone. Wondering what Relena was doing, Sylvia held off disconnecting the link. When she was satisfied that she was by herself, Relena leaned closer to the video pickup as if wanting to speak confidentially.

"Sylvia, do you really like Devon Tanisius? I won't tell anyone if you do. Personally I think that the two of you would make a perfect couple. Please tell me and I may be able to help you out with him.", said Relena with a schoolgirl giggle that was completely out of character for her.

Sylvia thought for a moment before she answered.

"If you promise to keep it between us, then yes, I do like Tanisius. In fact I don't just have a silly schoolgirl crush on him, Relena; I am truly and deeply in love with him. And I told him that last night.", muttered Sylvia with a happy light in her eyes.

"Oh how romantic! Did he tell you how he feels?"

"No, he didn't. Devon told me that he didn't know if he had feelings for me. Devon also said that he feels something but he couldn't tell me what it was. He told me all of that in the limousine on the way home after I told him my feelings. I even invited him in for coffee."

"Wow! How long did he stay?", asked Relena as she leaned back in her chair and kicked her legs up onto her desk.

"He only stayed long enough for one cup of coffee. I tried to seduce him but Thomas ruined the moment."

"Really, how did you try to do that?"

"I changed out of my dress and into a pair of harem pants and a halter top. I covered that with a nearly transparent sleeveless robe. I wasn't even wearing a bra under the halter when I came downstairs. You should have seen his face. If Thomas hadn't interrupted when he did, you might have caught Devon here when you called. Of course, if he was here then I wouldn't have been able to answer the phone.", stated Sylvia with a wink.

Relena laughed at the boldness of her friend. She could imagine the outfit Sylvia had worn and Devon's reaction to it. The two women chatted a bit longer about other things before hanging up. Before she disconnected, Relena told Sylvia that she'd help her get her man.

"When you come into work on Monday, I'll show you a secret that doesn't appear on any of the buildings' blueprints. If things work out for you and him, you'll be able to use it for whatever you choose."

"A secret in my office; there is no such thing and if there is, how would you know about it?"

"That used to be my office, remember? How do you think Heero and I were able to keep our relationship going when Une yanked him off my bodyguard detail.", answered Relena coyly.

"Oh."

"I have to come over there anyway. I think I left some clothes in that office. I'll reschedule some of my meetings so we can have a little bit of time to talk more about this by ourselves."

"What kind of clothes did you leave in there, Relena?", asked Sylvia suspiciously.

"The kind I'd rather not have everyone knowing about, although Heero liked them well enough. You might need to help me get those clothes to my office. Besides, the room will need to be aired out since I know it'll be pretty musty."

Sylvia listened to Relena while letting this new information run through her mind. She was beginning to think that things were starting to look up for her. Curious about why Relena thought the secret room needed airing out, Sylvia asked. Relena gave her a smug gaze.

"I think you can figure that out on your own. And it's not just because its full of dust, if you get my drift, Sylvia.", answered Relena.

Sylvia did indeed get Relena's drift and it must've shown on her face because Relena snickered. After a few more words of encouragement, Relena broke the connection and let Sylvia go back to what she was doing. The VFM watched the screen blank out before rising from her seat and exiting her office. Out in the hallway, she ran into Thomas and took him aside to issue some instructions about doubling security at the manor to keep the paparazzi from getting in. Thomas told her he already had done so and everything was alright. Sylvia thanked him and returned to her seat by the pool. By now, her cousin Dyane had gotten tired of waiting for Sylvia and was in the pool with her siblings. Resettling herself and picking up the discarded magazine, Sylvia wondered what Devon was doing at that very moment. Before she lost herself in the article she had been reading when she was informed by Relena's phone call, Sylvia also wondered if Devon had seen the paper and if he had, she wondered what he was thinking.

About ten miles from the Noventa Manor sat one of the mansions belonging to the Tanisius Family. Called 'The Lion's Den' by the family, the mansion sat on fifty acres of land. The two story structure with its expansive front yard was surrounded by a twelve foot wall of desert bricks brought over from America. The meticulously cared for front lawn ambled alongside a pristine black macadam driveway that started at the twelve foot high wrought iron arched gates and meandered for a good mile and a half till ending up under a covered archway that lead to the thick oaken double entry doors. When any members of the family were in residence, they came in through the five car garage that opened into a short walkway that led directly into one of the hallways that led to the kitchen. From the kitchen, one could go either down a lengthy hallway to the public meeting room where guests met and mingled. Or they could hang a right through a semi-concealed door that lead into the private family areas.

Devon was remembering all of this as he pulled his motorcycle around to the garage. When the garage came into view, the sniper saw that one of the doors was open and a mechanic sat working on what Devon recognized as an L-twin motorcycle engine. Upon hearing the approaching bike, the mechanic lifted his head from his work and stood up. The Preventor eased his bike to a stop and saw the wary look cast his way. Observing the mechanic's body language, Devon saw that the mechanic's right hand hung near where a concealed weapon would be carried. Killing his engine, Devon propped his bike on its centerstand and took off his helmet before dismounting. Once off the bike, the sniper made to approach the mechanic but he quickly took a couple of subtle steps backward to keep out of range of a sudden lunge. Devon raised his hands showing that he meant no harm.

"May I help you sir?", asked the mechanic.

"Yes, I'm here to see the mistress of the house. I'm expected.", answered Devon.

"Do you have an appointment sir? I wasn't informed of any guests arriving to visit."

"I'm not a guest. I'm a relative."

"Sir, with all do respect I know all of the Tanisius relatives personally and I have never seen you in my life. Now I'm afraid I must ask you to leave before I call the authorities."

_**"Dammit, mom and dad keep security really tight whenever somebody is in residence here. Addy why didn't you tell this mechanic cum security guard about my arrival? I really don't want to do this but I guess I'll have to do this the hard way."**, thought Devon as he approved of the hide in plain sight security measures._

Devon nodded at the mechanic and made his way back to his bike. Apologizing profusely, the sniper made his way back down the driveway aware that the security guard was observing him to make sure he left. Devon also knew that his observer was informing the hidden security teams (he had spotted several of them as he rode down the driveway, again approving of how well they blended in with the landscape) about his departure. While he retraced his path down the driveway, Devon figured that the mechanic must've gotten the word of his arrival ahead of time and decided to feign nonchalance to suss out Devon's intentions.

"Good tactic. Maybe I can get Yuy to implement that kind of security at Noventa Manor whenever the VFM is in residence.", mused Devon as he exited through the tall gates and made a left turn.

Earlier in the day (after he woke up for the second time) Devon had spotted a side street while doing a reconnaissance to check out the families' security arrangements. Now with him being denied entry through the front, Devon was going to have to get creative. After a few minutes of searching, the sniper spotted the hard to see side road and turned. Going a little under a mile down the street (it was more like an alley when Devon thought about it again), Devon recognized the desert tan colored bricks and brought his bike to a stop. Shutting the engine off, he wheeled the machine under a tree situated next to the wall and dropped his kickstand. Devon gave himself a quick appraisal to see if he had what he needed to climb the wall.

Nodding to himself, Devon tightened his boots and gloves and made his way up to the wall. Since he couldn't remember if there were alarm devices embedded in the wall, Devon decided to use the tree positioned next to the wall to breach the grounds.

With his method of entry decided, Devon made his way to the tree and question and searched it with his trained eyes to see if any security devices had been placed in the tree. Seeing none but knowing of the possibility of passive sensors he couldn't detect, Devon measured the distance to the lowest branch with a critical eye. When he was sure of the measurement, the sniper crouched down and explosively launched himself upwards with hands outstretched to grab the lowest reachable branch.

When his hands grasped the branch, Devon allowed his strong arms to hold his weight as he dangled from the branch sitting thirteen feet up. Once the branch had stopped shaking and was stabilized, Devon used his arm strength to lift his body high enough so he could bend at the waist and swing his legs around the branch. The maneuver left him hanging upside down like a three-toed sloth so Devon swung his body until he was basically lying on the top of the branch.

Seconds later, Devon standing on the branch balanced on the balls of his feet and was inching his way across the branch (with help from another branch hanging overhead) to drop lightly to land on top of the wall in a defensive crouch. Seeing no response from any of the security teams, Devon gazed around the large backyard to see if anything caught his attention. Off to the right, he could see a figure standing on the patio. Lucky for him the figure wasn't looking in his direction and Devon dropped the twelve feet to the ground, rolling as he landed so he wouldn't injure himself. Rolling to his feet, Devon set himself in another defensive crouch and looked around again. Satisfied that he was still not under any scrutiny, the sniper rose to his feet and made is way in the direction of the house.

Stopping and checking his surroundings to confirm that he was still unseen, Devon approached the side of the house. Midway there, the sniper heard a rhythmic slapping sound that was repeated every few seconds. Confused at the sound Devon moved closer to the house. Soon he heard a slight twanging sound was preceding the slaps and figured out what is was.

**_"Sounds like Adrienne brought one of her bows with her and is getting some extra archery practice in."_**

Creeping up to the house, Devon placed his back against the wall and edged along it in the direction of the repetitive sounds made by Adrienne loosing an arrow to hit the archery target situated about fifty-five yards downrange. Sighing to himself, Devon made his way around the corner and was rewarded with his first glimpse of his sister since the night before. Adrienne had a studied mask of concentration on her face as she fired arrow after arrow from the quiver stuck in the ground next to her leg. Adrienne was attired in a pair of loose fitting pants and a soft leather short sleeve shirt that Devon could see was made out of animal hide. Devon wondered if the shirt was mass market or if the skin had come from an animal that Adrienne herself had killed. Shrugging his shoulders to himself, Devon told himself not to worry and continued his observations. On Adrienne's feet was a pair of animal hide low top moccasins that had been dyed black. Deciding to just stand there and watch his sister at work, Devon crossed his arms and made himself comfortable while casually leaning against the wall.

Adrienne was trying to relax. She had been wondering when Devon was going to make his appearance ever since that morning. Stressed out from worry and not being able to concentrate on the work she had brought home with her from the office the previous day, she had finally jumped up and ran to her room. Once there she had changed from the casual slacks and loose fitting blouse to one of her sets of archery practice clothes, grabbed her bow from the closet and called the groundskeeper to pull the archery targets out of storage and set them up in their usual place in the backyard. The keeper had done so and had brought out a large quiver that was capable of holding up to a fifty arrows. When the keeper had informed her that everything had been set up, Adrienne did a few stretches to loosen up (last time she had practice was when she had visited Jordan on L-1) before making her way to a position one hundred sixty-five feet from the target and notched her first arrow to the string. Taking a deep breath and releasing half of it, she had drawn the bowstring almost past her ear and held it there with the arrow ready to go.

Taking time to make sure her aimpoint was right and knowing that her arrow would fly true, Adrienne had released the remainder of her held breath and then drew in another one. She was in the midst of exhaling when she let the arrow fly. As always, like a competition shooter, the release came as a surprise. Seconds after she had released the arrow, Adrienne heard the _thwap _that signified her arrow had hit the target. Releasing her pose, Adrienne wasn't surprised that her arrow had struck the bull's-eye dead center. Satisfied with that, Adrienne had reached for the next arrow and repeated the process. That had been several hours ago.

Now checking another shot, Adrienne glanced at her watch and did a double take. She had been practicing for over five hours. Adrienne hadn't expected that, she usually practiced in between two and three hours a day when she wasn't working. Her only realization at the passing of time was remembering how many times she had emptied the quiver and had gone to pull the arrows from her target. Stretching her arms over her head, Adrienne placed the bow on a holder that had appeared when she had first emptied the quiver and started walking towards the target. She was almost at the target when she got the feeling that she was being watched.

_**"Somebody is watching me. Whoever they are they're pretty close. Damn, with my bow back on the holder I have nothing to protect myself with. Shit, I even left my pistols in the house. Adrienne Nicole Tanisius how could you be so fucking stupid. Mom and Dad made sure I knew how important it was to always carry a weapon on my person. Even at he ball last night I had one of my pocket pistols in the garter holster I was wearing.",** fumed Adrienne as she cast her eyes left and right without moving her head to see if she could spot her silent watcher. _

Reaching the target, Adrienne observed her arrows and was happy with the fact that most of the arrows had hit the center of the target. There were several just outside the bull's-eye and a couple that were so far out of center that she cursed herself for her inattention. Still keeping the fact that she was being watched in the back of her mind, Adrienne started to pull the arrows out of the target. She was having a hard time pulling one arrow out when she heard the sound of fabric brushing against itself and caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. Reacting without thinking, Adrienne shifted the arrow she had been holding in her left hand to her right and whirled around with the point extended as if to slash the owner of the arm across the face. As she swung around, all Adrienne could see was a man wearing some sort of dark glasses. Her assumed attacker stepped back in surprise and Adrienne took advantage of the open space. She stepped into it and changed from using her arrow as a slashing weapon to using it as a puncture weapon and shoved the sharp point directly into the chest of the man. Only problem was that midway through the thrust, Adrienne felt something hit her forearm with surprising force and it instantly became numb. Her arm was so numb that she couldn't continue to hold the arrow and her hand reflexively dropped it.

_**"Crappola, whoever this hitman is, he's good damn good! He countered my first attack by retreating then neutralized my second attack by hitting me on a pressure point forcing me to drop my weapon. I am in a world of serious shit here. Next time I'll make sure to carry one of my pistols. If there is a next time.",** thought Adrienne as she resigned herself to the inevitable. _

Cursing herself for not using the ninjutsu style martial arts she had been trained in, Adrienne watched for an opening where she could just punch the shit outta her attacker (Adrienne was also an accomplished street brawler). When her attacker didn't follow up his advantage, Adrienne didn't hesitate and threw a straight jab with her left hand only to feel her fist blocked and caught in a much larger hand. Stunned at the speed of the block, she hesitated. The next thing she realized was that she was flying through the air. She landed on her back with a thud knocking the air out of her. As she lay there gasping for breath, Adrienne thanked the lord that the grass was soft and had saved her from landing harder than she did. Something eclipsed her view of the blue sky and she stared at it before realizing it was a head and a familiar face.

"Next time dear sister, make sure of your target before striking. If you had waited just half a second to identify me, you wouldn't find yourself flat on your ass looking up at the sky. I'll give you credit for striking so fast, you nearly got me with that arrow thrust.", said her grinning brother.

"Next time dumbass, don't surprise me. Call out first before reaching like you did.", snarled Adrienne through gasps as she accepted the extended hand.

Devon helped his sister up and hoped that she didn't hit the ground too hard. With his experienced eye, Devon catalogued Adrienne's appearance.

"You need to get some ice on that arm as soon as we get inside. Otherwise it will turn into a big bruise and may give you some problems in the coming days. Hopefully I pulled that chop enough to not bruise too much. About getting the air knocked out of you, bend over and take deep breaths. That should help a bit.", Devon said clinically.

Adrienne gave him a dirty look but didn't say anything. Still trying to regain her breath, she headed off towards where her bow was. Devon followed a few steps behind but didn't say anything.

As she approached her bow, Adrienne started to breathe easier and again moved with her usual feline grace. Nearing the stand, Adrienne reached down with her left hand and grabbed the weapon by the stock and stuck it under her arm while dropping some of her retrieved arrows in the quiver. When she left the quiver and target where they were, Adrienne caught Devon's questioning look.

"Don't worry. The groundskeeper will pick up the rest of the arrows."

Devon just shrugged and picked up the arrows anyway. He wasn't one to leave something for someone else to do when he could do it himself. Adrienne just stared at her brother before turning on a heel and heading towards the house. Minutes later, (much to his sister's dismay), Devon had drooped heavily onto the couch and propped his booted feet up on the coffee table.

Seeing her look of disapproval as it flashed across her face, Devon sighed and removed his feet from the table. Adrienne nodded in relief. If Leopold and Brianna had seen their son do what had just done, it would have been a long night in the workout room for him. Their parents didn't take too kindly to the Tanisius children putting their feet on coffee tables. Some of the tables had been hand built and were priceless. Since her wedding was coming up, Adrienne (as would all of her siblings when they got married) knew that the Tanisius patriarchs would be giving her and her new husband the gift of one of the family homes on Earth. The twenty-five year old soon-to-be bride had her eye on a two story three bedroom/two bath townhouse situated on the West Coast of the United States. Back when she had been an only child, Adrienne and her parents had stayed there.

Letting the happy memory fade, Adrienne again looked at the man sitting on the couch Her brother was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a light grey polo shirt. Covering the shirt was a black leather vest. On his feet was a pair of leather boots. With his ever present glasses, Devon looked like a studious college student. Taking a deep breath she initiated the conversation.

"So, how has life been treating you these past several years?", asked Adrienne.

"I've survived. What about you? What did you do during the First Gundam War?"

The elder sibling took a seat on the other end of the couch and drew one lithe and long leg up on the seat and leaned against the arm rest.

"I was a member of a mercenary unit based in America. I started as a low-level clerk but was quickly transferred after I took care of one of my superiors who had a pair of wandering hands and thought that all the females in the unit were there for one thing. After I was moved to one of the brigades commando field units, I started to excel at tactics and by the time of the Gundam attack on New Edwards I had command of my own unit. My unit excelled at assassinations and quick hit and run attacks. By the end of the war, I was the fourth in command and the highest ranked woman in the Banshee Mercenary Brigade. What about you?", asked Adrienne as she waited for brother to talk.

"My legend as the Black Panther Assassin started during the first war. After I was rescued from the kidnappers I started receiving special training. That's all I can say about it though. What about Owen and the others how did they get through that war?"

Adrienne grimaced at the request. Of course she knew about the others but each time she thought back on that war, she had to block out a set of orders she had received one day to kill one of the Specials mobile suit pilots.

"Owen ended up with OZ and was wounded at New Edwards base when his mobile suit was destroyed. Jordan was too young to fight in the first war. Mom and dad had our sister running Intel operations during the second. Out of the five of us, Morgan was the luckiest. He was too young to fight in both wars but he was trained as an Intel specialist during the second war. You know that Morgan's specialty is bomb building, right?"

Devon nodded; he knew that about his youngest sibling. During the Second Gundam War, he had used some of the bombs that had been concocted from instructions written by Morgan (although he never knew who wrote the instructions). In the intervening years Devon had requested that if he needed an explosive device, Director Z was to supply one of Morgan's creations.

"I've used a few of his specials before. The person I've received my instructions from always manages to get his hand on one of Morgan's bombs.", added Devon.

Adrienne was about to comment on that when she heard the door from the garage open and close and a voice call out.

"Hey sis I'm back! Can I borrow the car for a short bit? I gotta pick up a couple of people from the shuttleport.", called Morgan Tanisius.

"Yeah go ahead, Morgan. But before you go, can you come in here first.", asked Adrienne as she cast a wicked grin at Devon.

Morgan entered the room about to ask his sister what she wanted him for. He stopped short when he saw the figure sitting on the opposite end of the couch from his big sister. It took a second to register but when it did, Devon saw a big grin spread across Morgan's face.

"Yo, Devon, what's up? I thought you weren't going to drop in till later.", stated Morgan cheerily.

"Nah, I can't. I gotta date later.", answered Devon.

Adrienne frowned.

"A date; a date with whom, Devon? That Noventa woman?"

Devon narrowed his eyes as he heard the iciness in Adrienne's voice. He didn't know what his sisters' problem with Sylvia was. Now that she had found him, Devon realized that Adrienne was about to let her over protectiveness show. Deciding to stop that before it happened, Devon stood up.

"Adrienne I'm going to let what you're thinking about Baroness Noventa slide for now. However you must realize that I'm not a little kid anymore and I do have a social life of my own. For your information, with this date I'm repaying a favor to a friend. She helped me get out of a tight spot and in return I promised to take her to the motorcycle club party tonight. Besides, every Saturday night here is motorcycle cruise night. My friend is the reigning stunt queen and tonight she's accepting challenges.", answered Devon as he studiously ignored the gleam in Adrienne's eye.

"Oh really, that's cool, bro. You think we can get in?", asked Morgan.

"Yeah, it's no prob. The club has a small cover charge though. And Morg, they are very strict about checking ID's. So if you have a fake one, it ain't gonna fly. If you do go and I see you there, remember that the Preventors think I'm an only child and I was orphaned before the first war."

"Dammit, Devon, why do we have to keep up that charade at the cruise tonight.", questioned an irritated Adrienne.

"Because Adrienne, several Preventors who know me will be there. Also my immediate superiors, Colonels Yuy and Chang will be there. Everyone knows that Heero Yuy and Wufei Chang are the two people Commander Une uses when she really wants to get information on somebody. And I hope I don't have to remind you whom Yuy is married too.", returned Devon sharply.

"Shit."

Adrienne clamped her teeth together with an audible sound. Her brother did **_not_** have to remind her that Heero Yuy was married to the present foreign minister. Bringing her attention back to the conversation, she listened as Devon continued with his explanation about who else was going to be at the cruise.

"You mean that Prince Miliardo Peacecraft and Princes Lucrezia Noin-Peacecraft are going to be there as well?", asked Morgan.

"It's a possibility. They usually come; however, Noin has been eschewing the public eye for the past few months. She's canceled several appearances lately for some odd reason. I recently got a look at the appearance schedule for the prince and princess while I was in Yuy's office giving a report.", replied Devon absently.

Morgan was doing everything he could to keep from dancing from foot to foot. This was going to work out real well. One of the people he had to pick up would be happy to see his old commander. Remembering the reason he had came into the house, Morgan turned to his sister and reiterated his request for the car.

"I already told you that you can use it, Morgan. Don't make me repeat myself. You know how much I hate that.", said Adrienne with a tinge of rage in her voice.

'Yeah, okay Adrienne. I'm sorry. Hey Devon ya wanna come with me?", stated Morgan as he turned from his sister to his brother.

Leaning closer to Devon, he told him that it might be best if he did come to allow their sister time to calm down.

"She's always had that incendiary temper and ever since you were kidnapped it only got worse. I think that she inherited that from mom.", muttered Morgan.

Devon nodded in agreement. He decided to leave Adrienne to her mood and promised himself that he would find a way to talk to her alone before she headed back to the family colony. Turning to his sister, Devon told her that he would be back shortly. Stepping up to his older sister, Devon reached down and gave her a hug.

"Thanks Devon. I'll see you when you come back."

"No prob. He Sis, can I get you to bring my bike around to the front. The mechanic working in the garage wouldn't let me park in the driveway.", asked Devon as he held his keys out for Adrienne to take.

Adrienne accepted the keys and listened as Devon told her where his bike was. When he finished, she watched as her two youngest brothers left the room. Minutes later Adrienne heard the sound of the car pulling out of the driveway.

Forty-five minutes later, the brothers Tanisius were waiting in the arrivals lounge at the shuttleport. After they'd arrived, Devon had had to duck a couple of media personnel who spotted him in the terminal and wanted an interview. Devon had cut down a side passageway with help from his Preventors badge to ditch the reporters. Arriving in the waiting area a couple of minutes after Morgan had, Devon stood in the shadows and watched one of the monitors that were situated around the building. Seeing that the breaking news was about him and the VFM, Devon gritted his teeth in annoyance and was seconds away from calling Sylvia when common sense told him to wait.

Owen Tanisius was sitting in one of the first class seats aboard the flagship of one of the shuttle lines. He had left L-4 and caught the first shuttle to Earth. Packing a small bag of clothes, he had grabbed his briefcase and taken it with him so he could study a contract that Tanisius Security Technologies LTD was bidding on. Unfortunately for Owen, his family's company was bidding against the Security Division of Winner Enterprises.

For Owen it was hard to keep the negotiations from Fatima. After he had left Fatima sleeping in a deliciously fulfilled state of bliss, Owen had penned a quick note and left it on her dresser before leaving her suite of rooms. Getting into his car, Owen had called the passenger lines to see which one had the fastest flight to Earth. Finding that out, he had accepted that the shuttle had a stop over on L-1. Paying for his ticket and grabbing his briefcase, Owen had made it to the L-4 Shuttleport with minutes to spare. Settling into his seat, the flight attendant had offered him a drink and was everything but blatant with her flirting. Midway through the first leg of his flight, Owen had fallen asleep in his seat. With all the time he had been spending with Fatima, Owen was running way negative in sleep department and appreciated the rest he got. He woke up as the shuttle taxied into its slot at the L-1 shuttleport and waited for passengers to board so he could continue to Earth.

During the stopover, Owen called Morgan's cell phone to let him know that he was coming and would land later that day. Morgan had answered and acknowledged his brother and told him that he would pick him up at the Brussels Spaceport. Grinning at his younger sibling, Owen had finished the conversation and hung up and was prepared to sleep until the shuttle landed on Earth. Just as he was drifting off, somebody dropped into the seat next to him and in the process had jostled his arm. Frowning and turning to see who it was, Owen had been surprised when he had looked over and saw his sister Jordan adjusting her seat for comfort. He waited till Jordan had finished that and had closed her eyes to try and get some sleep before reaching over the arm rest and gently poking her in her stomach. Owen knew his younger sister was very ticklish, especially if she was poked in the stomach. Her reaction was textbook Tanisius.

Jordan's eyes flashed open and she sent a closed fist in his direction. Owen caught her fist and pressed a brotherly kiss to the back of her hand.

"Wake up princess and watch your elbows next time.", Owen had said as Jordan recognized her seatmate.

The two had talked just about the entire flight getting caught up with each other. Jordan told Owen that she had been trying to get ahead in school and that was the reason she was taking a few Saturday classes in her major. After the last of her classes and a light volleyball practice, Jordan had found herself with nothing to do. Her boyfriend had left campus to hang out with his friends and she had made a spur of the moment decision to come to Earth to see their brother. Like Owen, Jordan had called Morgan to pick her up.

"The little brat didn't tell me that he was picking you up as well as me. He's going to pay for trying to be secretive.", muttered Jordan as she leaned back in her seat to try and get some extra sleep.

"Yeah, he'll have to face the consequences for that but look at it from his point of view. Last time all five of us were in one spot, he was only a baby. You weren't much older than him but at least you got to know Devon for a trio of years before he disappeared. Morgan only knows Devon from numerous family stories, a few old pictures, and the short time he was with us after Morgan was born. If Morgan wants to keep the information that both of us are on our way to Earth to himself, I say its all good with me. I bet he didn't expect us both to be on the same flight though.", stated Owen.

Jordan nodded and closed her eyes. Their shuttle was ninety-five minutes away from atmospheric insertion and another forty-five minutes from landing. She wanted to get as much sleep as she could before seeing her siblings. As she drifted off to sleep, Jordan wondered if her younger brother had told Adrienne and Devon about their arrival.

Owen grinned as he watched his sister drift off into dreamland. He figured that Jordan had been getting even less than he had due to her class schedule, volleyball practices and games, and time with her boyfriend. Reaching up to the overhead bin where he'd stashed his briefcase, Owen grabbed a pillow and blanket. Gently lifting Jordan's head so he could slip the pillow underneath, Owen pressed a brotherly kiss to her forehead like he used to do when they were younger. Hearing her sigh happily in her sleep, Owen covered Jordan with the blanket before resettling himself in his seat and returning to sleep himself.

A little over two hours later, both Jordan and Owen felt their shuttle decelerate and prepare for its final approach. They each woke in stages as their bodies reacted to changes brought about by the shuttles course changes for approach to their assigned runway. As the main gear was making contact with the runway, both Owen and Jordan were coming to full wakefulness. The two siblings were alert and awake by the time the shuttle taxied to its assigned gate. They waited for the majority of the other passengers to disembark before getting up from their seats, retrieving their carry on luggage from the overhead bins, and departing the spacious shuttle themselves. Exiting the jetway into the terminal, Owen looked around and spotted his brother Morgan waving to him from short distance away from the gate. Owen pointed his youngest brother out to Jordan and she acknowledged him with a wave.

Looking around at the other people walking though the terminal, Jordan didn't see anyone paying undue attention to the youngest Tanisius. That was a good thing in its own. Due to her and Owen not visiting Earth all that much, Jordan and her older brother could pass through the customs area without much fuss.

Standing in a small alcove up the terminal from the departure gate his brother waited at, Devon kept his eyes roving over the crowd. Not knowing who to expect, Devon kept a close eye on Morgan as he continued to study the crowd and see if anyone was paying more attention to the seventeen year old than usual. Devon had already spotted a couple of acquaintances from his favorite watering hole and nodded in acknowledgement to them. Questioning looks were passed between the three and Devon sighed internally as the men he knew as Striker and G-Man confirmed that they were on different business at the shuttle port.

Shifting his gaze back to his younger brother, Devon was slightly startled to see that he had been joined by two people. A young man and woman were approaching Morgan with smiles on their face. Devon was tensing himself up to spring to Morgan's defense when he recognized the two faces.

_**"It's Owen and Jordan. Are they the people Morgan is picking up? I should've known something was up when the little brat wouldn't tell us who exactly it was he was picking up at the shuttleport. I'll make my way over to them as they leave the main terminal. That way I can still keep my story right. Hopefully the person I flashed my badge at will come down with a sudden case of amnesia where I'm concerned.",** thought Devon as he made his way to intercept his trio of siblings as they made their way to baggage claim. _

After waiting around five minutes to pick up the bags checked by both Owen and Jordan, Morgan led his two older siblings out to where he had parked the family car. All the while he was looking around and wondering where Devon was. Jordan noticed Morgan's eyes as they gazed at the vehicles in the parking lot and called him on it.

"I was just looking for somebody, Jordan. It's nothing to be concerned about.", answered Morgan as his glanced around again.

"Morgan, if it's nothing to be concerned about, then why the hell are you straining your neck looking for whatever this 'nothing' is?", continued Jordan with a sharp look at Owen.

Morgan just shrugged his shoulders in resignation and said nothing. He was trying to surprise his sister and brother. However the 'surprise' wasn't cooperating. After a short walk in silence, Morgan took a deep breath and sighed. He could feel Jordan's glare burning through his back.

_**"I guess that Devon decided to catch a ride to wherever he lives. And he left me with these two. Dammit Devon, what the hell do you think you're doing!",** fumed the fifth Tanisius child. _

Just as he spotted the car, Morgan heard his brother clear his throat in a familiar manner. He knew what that meant, their father did the same thing when he wanted an explanation and was prepared to wait as long as possible to get it. Morgan opened his mouth to start on the explanation when he saw a familiar figure leaning against the sedan with his hands behind his head. Closing his mouth with a snap, Morgan smiled and stepped to the side just as he heard Owen request an explanation.

"There goes your explanation brother dearest!", stated Morgan smugly as he pointed to the sedan.

Owen shifted his stony expression from Morgan to the young man standing by the family car. Recognizing the figure for the second time in one day, Owen stopped short. Behind him, Jordan wasn't expecting the abrupt cessation of movement on Owen's part and collided with the solid form of his back. Swearing at Owen's idiocy, Jordan stopped when she stepped around her brother and her eyes focused on the tableau in front of her. It took her all of three seconds to realize who she was looking at. And when she did, Jordan squealed in extreme happiness and launched herself into the man's arms.

"Hey Jordan, what's goin' down?", asked Devon with a crooked grin on his face.

Devon looked at his little sister through the tint on his glasses. He saw that she was still as slender as she used to be. However, where he remembered no curves whatsoever, now there were curves on top of curves. Jordan had gone from being a slightly pudgy toddler to a slender, lithe, voluptuous, and incredibly attractive young woman. His eyes took in her form and his mind absently noted that Jordan was a bit bigger in the bust than Adrienne. Where the oldest Tanisius daughter exuded a cool charm and maturity, the youngest Tanisius daughter exuded a sense of serious sensuality. His older brother protectiveness system kicked in with full force and Devon mentally vowed to commit bodily harm to any guy who attempted to get close to her. Jordan saw the look in Devon's eyes change and sighed. She knew that look very well. Her other two brothers as well as their father had the same look. It was a dangerous look, a look that promised a world of unimaginable pain to any man who would hurt her. However, where on Owen and Morgan the look was serious enough, on Devon the look was more like it was on the face of Leopold Tanisius. Remembering Devon's admission from earlier, Jordan felt a little bit scared.

_**"Note to self: if Devon ever comes to L-1, I need to inform my boyfriend to ease up on some of his actions. If Devon ever caught my boyfriend doing some of the things we do in public and private, he may kill him or at least severely hurt him. One more note to myself; pray to god that Devon does not find out about the intimacy between my boyfriend and I. It promises to be much worse than when dad, Owen, and Morgan found out."**, thought Jordan frantically. _

Shifting his gaze over to his older brother, Devon gave Owen a wry grin. Sharing similar facial features and body dimensions except where Devon stood six foot three inches tall, Owen stood six foot one and a half inches tall. Owen was also gifted with perfect 20/10 eyesight. Neither of his brothers and sisters had anywhere near the eyesight he had and Devon wore glasses because of the astigmatism in his eyes that became apparent on his third birthday. Owen grinned back and swept Devon into a one-armed hug before releasing him.

"Alright knucklehead, start talkin'. First things' first. Where did you spend the first and second gundam wars?", stated Owen as Morgan opened the trunk of the car.

"I already told you, Owen. I was a sniper during both wars and that's all I'm gonna say about it.", retorted Devon.

"But Devon, it's been so long since we last saw you in person. Of course you realize that we want to know what happened to you.", Jordan added.

"Jordan, Owen you do not know how much I do want to tell you about what I did, but the majority of the actions I committed during those wars would throw the entire E.S.U.N. into chaos. A time will come when I can tell all. It may not be for awhile though. Please wait until then, and I promise you won't be disappointed.", stated Devon with a voice of finality.

Owen nodded and gently grasped Jordan's shoulder. If Devon couldn't tell them about what he did, they would just have to except it and move on. Squeezing his sister's shoulder, Owen heard her sniffles stop and saw the tears that had been forming in Jordan's eyes start to fade. Before he could comment, Morgan asked both of them if they brought their riding leathers. Confused and curious, Owen and Jordan nodded. It seemed that they both wanted to go riding while they were on Earth for this short time.

"Good, let's go. I've got plans for all of us tonight. Well all of us except Devon. He's got a date.", chirruped Morgan.

Devon heard Morgan and went rigid with embarrassment. Turning to the car and waiting for his younger brother to unlock it, Devon vowed to make Morgan pay for the comment. As expected both Jordan and Owen wanted to know about his 'date'. Jordan reacted like Adrienne had, except with more arm waving and polysyllabic Anglo-Saxon derived swear words. Owen reacted by wrapping an arm around Devon's neck and trying to get him to spill about his social life. Knowing that this wasn't going to end for a looong time, Devon just grunted and climbed into the car. The others followed with Morgan chuckling, Owen chortling, and Jordan fuming. Turning to the Morgan as he climbed into the driver's seat and settled himself in, Devon waited till the car was in motion before commenting.

"So Morgan, did you learn anything from your date with the waitress from last night? Addy told me that you somehow got her to give you her number so that she could teach you how to make a cherry pie. Or was I mistaken?"

Morgan went rigid. Since he had a lighter skin tone than his brothers and sisters, the red flush of embarrassment was easy to see as it sped across his face. This time it was Morgan who found himself on the wrong side of the embarrassing questions. Before he could tell Devon to shut up, his older brother went on to talk about what had happened to him in the park the other day.

"Didn't Marimaia Khushrenada fall swooning into your arms the other day? After she ran into you? I heard that she had a cute friend named Jasmine Adjani.", teased Devon.

"Dammit Devon, Ms. Khushrenada didn't fall swooning into my arms, I caught her before she could hit the ground after she ran into me.", snarled Morgan.

In the backseat Owen and Jordan were chuckling as Devon teased Morgan mercilessly. Before they could chime in, the car pulled into the driveway at The Lion's Den. Standing outside the garage with her arms crossed was Adrienne. As the car pulled up, the oldest of the five shielded her eyes with her left hand and tried to make out the figures in the vehicle with Devon and Morgan. When she recognized the two passengers in the back seat, everyone could see the delightful grin that appeared on Adrienne's face.

As the quartet climbed out of the car, Jordan and Adrienne embraced first before Adrienne embraced Owen. As his big sister hugged him, Owen could feel the tears that Adrienne had refused to show to Jordan dripping on to his shirt. He didn't mind, he felt the same way as he realized why Adrienne was sobbing.

For the first time in sixteen years, all five of the Tanisius children were together in one place.

A couple of hours later after the quintet had gotten caught up and had eaten, the three boys were stretched out in the family room watching the news on the television. Devon was stretched out on the couch. Morgan had commandeered the black leather recliner, while Owen just stretched his lanky frame out on the floor. Adrienne and Jordan had gone up to Jordan's room so she could put away her clothes and change into something more comfortable.

Devon had felt so relaxed that he allowed himself to fall into a light doze. He jerked awake when Morgan exclaimed about something that was happening on TV. Opening his eyes and casting his look at the screen, Devon abruptly sat up as he recognized the scene. Reporters gathered around the entrance to Noventa Manor were being held at bay by the security team.

"Dammitalltohell!", snapped Devon.

At that moment his two sisters made an entrance. Adrienne took one look at her brothers stretched out all over the room and turned to Jordan.

"I told you that they would stretch out and turn on the idiot box while we were upstairs. Fifty bucks says that they were watching sports.", commented Adrienne.

"Sis, that's a sucker bet. Event he biggest gamblers in the Earth Sphere would take that bet. Now I see what mom had to go through before she took the television out of the family room on the colony. Every day after they'd eat, Dad would go into the family room and watch TV. At least she banished the big screen television to the gameroom. Now the family room stays clean.", returned Jordan.

Devon ignored his sister as he reached for his phone. Dialing a number as soon as he grabbed it from where he had left it, he waited for the line to ring on the other end. When somebody answered his call, Devon wasn't expecting the voice that answered.

"Yuy."

"Colonel Yuy, what the hell is going on at the Noventa Manor and why wasn't I called.", snapped Devon.

"Agent Tanisius, you weren't contacted because you've done enough already. Commander Une has instructed me to remove you from Vice Foreign Minister Noventa's immediate protection detail. You'll revert back to your original position as the detail sniper. Have a good day.", came the laconic voice of Heero Yuy.

Devon started to cuss his superior out but all he heard was a click. You had hung up on him.

_"That Sonuvabitch! He Hung_ _Up On Me!",_ snapped Devon as he flipped his phone closed.

His brothers and sisters looked at him in askance. This was a side of Devon they hadn't expected from their brother. Getting up from his spot on the couch, Devon asked Adrienne if he could use her laptop.

"Yeah, go ahead. It's over there.", answered the eldest of the five.

'Thanks sis. I Gotta take care of something."

Adrienne shrugged as Devon made his way over to her laptop and logged on to an instant message service. Searching for and finding the nom de guerre he was looking for, Devon dashed of a short message. The person he had left the message for must've been nearby. Five minutes after he left his message his phone rang again. Checking the caller ID and seeing what he expected, Devon activated his phone's security system before answering.

"Don't talk, just listen. If you were serious about what you told me last night, I need to know one thing: is there a back way to your place, one that the media wouldn't know about? If so, then in about four hours, I'm going to leave something there. If you can get away from everything around that time, there will be some directions on the seat next to a key and a security code. We've really got to talk about this. I just talked to that dipshit Yuy and it seems that he got orders from on high to remove me. Yeah, that's right. You talked to whom? Dammit, I bet she didn't expect her husband to pull this. Okay in four hours just be at the place the directions give you and use the security code to bypass the locks.. I won't be there right away; I'll be there before the night is over though. Okay. See you then."

Devon broke the connection as the person on the other end tried to get him to stay on a bit longer. Then turning to his family, he checked his watch. It was getting near the time he had to pick up his friend. Before any of the other four could ask him who he was talking to, Devon told them he would see them at the cruise. Adrienne and Jordan spluttered. After all the secrecy he had insisted on, now their brother was saying that he would see them at the cruise. They chastised him for a minute before he gave them a long suffering look.

"Adrienne, Jordan think about the situation for a bit. Even though I can't admit to the press who I am just yet, I can still meet y'all at the cruise."

"But how? Explain that to us now Devon, dammit!"

Devon sighed and looked at Owen and Morgan. His two brothers just shrugged. They didn't get it either.

"As the representatives of Tanisius Security Technologies LTD, Adrienne and Morgan met me last night at the ball. What if during the time that Morgan and I talked in the hallway, he just happened to ask a Preventor, who is known to ride a motorcycle on occasion, about local motorcycle cruises and meetings?", said Devon.

Morgan was the first to get it. So he told everyone else.

"And if the Preventor knew about the motorcycle cruise, and passed it on to me. It wouldn't seem out of place if Adrienne and I showed up at the cruise with our brother and sister. Ergo, if we 'ran' into him or he 'ran' into us. It wouldn't' seem out of place for us to introduce him to our brother and sister and thank him for telling us about this cruise. I get it.", answered Morgan excitedly.

Devon nodded in approval at his younger brother. The young rat was as smart as he figured. Before he could comment on it though, the house phone rang. The ring was a distinctive one and Devon saw his siblings' facial expression go from extremely pale to overly excited. When it rang again, Adrienne hurriedly went to answer it. Devon turned to Jordan and asked who was calling.

"It's mom and dad. Dammit, they're going to be pissed off that Owen and I are here.", hissed his younger sister.

Devon was speechless and proceeded to drop back into his seat. When Owen, Jordan, and Morgan sat next to him in the order of their birth, he realized that whatever his parents wanted to talk about was serious.

At the phone, Adrienne was waiting for her siblings to sit down so she could answer. When everyone was arranged, she went ahead and answered the video phone and directed the camera so that it showed the five of them.

From his seat on the couch, Devon waited for the screen to clear up. When it did, for the first time in sixteen years, he saw his parents. As usual, Adrienne was the first to speak.

"Good evening mom, dad. How are things going back home?', asked Adrienne.

On the other end of the line, the Tanisius Family patriarch and matriarch were caught a bit out when the screen cleared up and they saw all five of their children sitting in a row on the couch. To their credit, Leopold and Brianna Tanisius didn't react as much as the siblings thought they would. Brianna did gasp at the tableau while Leopold's eyes widened slightly.

On Earth, all of their children caught the involuntary reactions of their parents as they witnessed a sight that they thought that they would never see again; all of their children together in one place. Adrienne smirked to herself. Her parents hadn't expected their oldest daughter to find her brother in spite of all that her parents had dropped on her shoulders.

Taking everything all in stride, Brianna sat down on the corner of her husbands' desk, Elegantly dressed in a casual pair of slacks and a soft pastel colored blouse, the 52 year old mother of the five young people on the vidcom screen and for the first time in many years allowed herself to relax. Cutting her eyes to her 56-year old bald headed husband, Brianna saw that easing of a lot of strain from his mahogany face. Seeing that Leo was still in a bit of shock (and hiding it from their five offspring), Brianna took a deep breath and addressed her children.

"Good evening, Adrienne. I see that both Owen and Jordan have joined you and Morgan on Earth. I also see that you've achieved what you set out to do and found Devon. Hello son, it's been a long time."

"Hello mother. Yes it has been along time since that day sixteen years ago. You've been in my thoughts even since.", answered Devon with a slightly noticeable hitch in his voice.

Brianna nodded and turned away from the camera for a moment. She had to recompose herself. Behind his desk, the head of the Tanisius Family, saw his wife turn away from the monitor and drew the attention of his five kids away from their mother.

"Hello, Devon you're looking pretty fit.", came the stentorian bass of Leopold.

Even though it was covered up by the deep tone of his father's voice, Devon heard his father's soft relief at speaking with his long lost son for the first time since his disappearance. Returning his attention to his mother, who had by now composed herself well enough that she wouldn't break down sobbing. That could wait till after the call. Taking control of the conversation as was her right; Brianna started questioning her middle child about his life now since his kidnapping and his life now.

Leaning back in his massive leather chair, Leopold let Brianna direct the conversation as he observed his son. It seemed that Devon had been expecting this perusal and it wasn't fazing him in the least. As he sat watching his wife and son interact, Leopold caught the slight sound of someone entering his home office. Whoever it was hadn't knocked and that irritated Leopold a bit until he recognized the footsteps.

Director Z had been visiting his cousins on their colony when Brianna and Leopold had gotten the news that unless Morgan returned home to finish out his school year here, he might get held back a year. Used to his cousins' aloofness, the director had been a bit concerned when a very worried Brianna and Leopold had asked him to drop in for dinner. He had amazed that Morgan had gone to Earth at the behest of his usually strict parents. After dinner, the trio had tried to figure out what to do about Morgan's studies. That discussion was going nowhere fast when the director had remembered about an exclusive and accredited boarding school on Earth. When their choice had been made, Brianna and her husband had gone into Leopold's office to discuss it further before calling Earth and informing Morgan that he was to start attending school on Earth.

While his cousins had been making their call, the director had taken the completed application and faxed it to the admissions office. He knew that somebody was going to see it before the weekend was out. Finished with that, he had come into the office to reassure his cousins that Morgan's education was going to continue. Upon entering the office (he was one of only two people who could enter Leo's office without knocking), the director had seen that the heads of the Tanisius Family were talking to their children. Remaining out of the range of the camera, Director Z listened to the conversation going on before stiffening at the sound of a familiar voice.

For her part, Brianna had noticed the entrance of their cousin but at the moment she couldn't care less. She was attentively listening to the details of Devon's life since his rescue. Much to her concern, Devon had glossed over his role and whereabouts during both Gundam Wars. He had demurred and told her that he had been a sniper but hadn't seen much action. Brianna also noticed that even though he said that he had been at New Edwards Base when it was attacked, he had glossed over his reason for being there.

When Devon finished the recap on the sixteen years of his life that they had missed, Brianna thoughtfully tapped one well manicured fingernail against her full, sensuous lips (both Adrienne and Jordan had inherited those lips) and wondered what to ask Devon next. He seemed very self-assured and was happy with is job as a Preventor. Thinking back on what Devon had told her, she realized that there had been no mention of a significant other in his life. Before she could ask, her husband beat her to it.

"So Devon, I'm wondering, and no doubt your mother is as well, if there is someone special in your life right now?"

Not expecting that question to be put so bluntly, Devon hesitated for a second before hurriedly adding that there wasn't. His parents seemed okay with his answer and he would've dropped the subject altogether if his elder sister hadn't opened her big mouth.

"Oh, Devon told us that he has a date tonight.", chimed in Adrienne.

Devon winced. With all his present problems at work (which he hadn't said word one about to his mother), this was something he would've preferred his parents not knowing about till he worked everything out. .

_**"Dammit, Adrienne! Why in the hell did you have to bring that up in front of mom and dad?",** fumed Devon. _

Devon would've been able to explain everything if at that moment, his bored older brother hadn't taken that moment to slip the rubber band off the newspaper.

Bored with the whole conversation but happy that his parents were able to talk to Devon, Owen had been casting his eyes around the room to see if there was a local paper he could read to get caught up with everything that was going on. Spotting the one that had been delivered that morning. It was pure D luck that the picture of Devon kissing (actually being kissed thoroughly by) VFM Noventa had been folded to the inside.

When Owen unfolded the paper-much to both Jordan and Adrienne's annoyance- he unfolded it so that the first person who would see it was Jordan. Jordan saw the picture and did the classic double take. She also did the first thing that came to her.

Jordan Victoria Tanisius squealed in delight.

Just as he was about to explain to his parents that his date tonight was basically the repayment of a favor what sounded like a five-alarm fire bell rang out. Devon turned in the direction of the sound and stopped dead in his tracks. There staring him dead in his face (and thus within the range of the camera) was the picture of him kissing the Thirteenth Baroness of the Noventa Barony and the present Vice Foreign Minister of the Earth Sphere United Nation.

Looking around at his family, Devon felt the familiar warmth of embarrassment rush through his body. It wasn't helped when he heard the deep rumbling chuckle of his father in counterpoint to the light girlish giggle of his mother come through the monitor in perfect surround sound. Seeing all of this, Devon said the only thing that would fit the situation.

"Uhh, that isn't what it looks like.", stuttered Devon.

Brianna and Leopold Tanisius gazed at their middle child with matching expressions of tolerated amusement while Jordan and Owen tussled for control of the paper and Adrienne just dropped her head and shook it. In the midst of all of this, the forgotten (and half-asleep) Morgan opened his eyes and yawned. Glancing at his family he just shrugged his shoulders.

"Did I miss anything?", asked the youngest of the Tanisius brood with the innocence of youth.

**_Finally, after two whole years, Chapter Three of 'Sylvia's Solitary Soldier' is done. First off I want to thank those who've patiently waited through all the updates and promises for this chapter to be done. You all know who you are. To you, I give many thanks. I apologize drawing out your patience this long. It's been a long hard road to get this chapter done. This chapter is dedicated to all of you._**

**_Secondly, I want to apologize to you readers who don't particularly like long chapters. This chapter is longer than I usually write due to the amount of information I wanted to add (plus all the revisions and changes that I had to make on the fly). In this chapter I wanted to start working on the slowly developing relationship between Sylvia and Devon. I also wanted to have Devon's siblings to at least get to see their brother in person. Even though, Devon's parents now know that he is alive and well, he will not meet them in person till later in the story (or so I have it planned out in my head at this time). I again apologize for the length of this chapter (sometimes I get so descriptive it amazes even me. J)._**

**_This chapter for me was basically a chapter to start the actual personal relationship between Devon and Sylvia. In addition to that, the basic point of this chapter was also to introduce you the readers to Devon's most prized possession; his North American RA-5C Vigilante that appeared earlier in this chapter. As the plot continues, that aircraft will play an important part in certain scenes. _**

_**If you are interested in learning more about that wonderful aircraft, I got my information from here: **_

**_In the next chapter, I'm going to touch on events later that evening. Some of those events play an important part later in the story. Also included in the next chapter will be a description of the main characters alter ego's place of residence (or one of them at least). One more thing, if you've been following the developing friction between Devon and Heero, next chapter that will all come to a head. If you want to know more, you'll have to wait for it. And I won't take as long to get it out as I did this chapter. _**

_**Keep on reading and writing!**_

_**Knightewolfe's Lair **_

_**October 2006**_


	5. Locker Room Brawl: Yuy vs Tanisius!

It's back with a vengeance and waiting to suck more of you

into its world. HAHAHAHAHA!!! I keed I keed! Well my

friends, here it is, the next chapter in the riveting saga of

Devon Tanisius and Sylvia Noventa.

_**Sylvia's Solitary Soldier**_

_**Chapter 4**_

**_Locker Room Brawl: Yuy vs. Tanisius!_**

**_Early October: A.C. 201_**

It's was a cool night in Brussels so Preventor Agent (and master sniper) Devon Tanisius shoved his hands deeper into the pockets of his black leather biker jacket and watched as his sisters Adrienne and Jordan did stunts on the blue Ducati motorcycle they had arrived on. It was the Saturday night motorcycle cruise and a lot of area bikers were scattered around the vast former industrial plant turned bike hangout. It was just approaching ten o'clock and there were still people arriving. Some were in cars while others were on bikes. The police were around the area to watch out for any criminal activities but they usually left people alone. Tonight they were inconspicuously backed up by undercover agents from Preventors and the Peacecraft Royal Security Detail. Prince Miliardo Peacecraft and his wife Princess Lucrezia Noin-Peacecraft were in attendance as was the prince's sister Princess Relena Darlian Peacecraft-Yuy and her husband Colonel Heero Yuy.

Also in attendance but scattered around the large complex were Duo and Hilde Maxwell, Quatre and Dorothy Winner along with their nearly ten month old son Jamal. In addition, Trowa Barton and Midii Une along with Wufei Chang and Sally Po had recently made their appearances and were mingling with the rest of the crowd. Sighing to himself, Devon leaned back on his bike and felt the figure of the woman who had recently lost her crown as the queen of stunters to, of all people his older sister Adrienne, as she leaned on his shoulders.

"Are you alright, D? That sigh didn't sound like the Devon I'm used too.", asked Devon's date for the evening.

"I'm alright, Fliss. Just thinking about some of the things from my past.", answered Devon as he rearranged himself.

Felicity Hillsdown knew an evasion when she heard one. Being a decorated detective in the area police force had trained her well in that field. Along with her normal curiosity, Felicity knew that it made her nearly perfect in finding stuff out that people didn't want found out. Felicity-Fliss for short- also knew that if she ever did try to find out the secrets of the man whose back she was presently draped over, Devon (she called him D because it sounded better) would take her curiosity and make her choke on it. This was a man who guarded his secrets better than the royal security detail guarded the prince and princess. Adjusting her position on the back of her motorcycle (Fliss had had Devon bring her to the cruise on her own bike so she could make an entrance) to account for his position shift, Fliss smiled softly and bent her head down to press a friendly kiss to the back of his neck.

Devon felt the kiss and it relaxed him a bit. He'd arrived at the spot with Fliss a few hours ago and had been worrying that his siblings would forget what he had told them after he finished talking with their parents.

_**"That conversation had been tough, especially after they had seen the photo of Sylvia and me from last night. It had taken all my skills to deceive my parents about the relationship between the two of us."**, thought Devon as he allowed his worry to fade away._

On the other side of the complex, Owen and Morgan Tanisius were hanging out by the tables near the dance floor and outdoor bar. Since he was underage, Morgan couldn't get any alcohol to drink. That didn't faze him; he didn't particularly care for it. However, his older brother had bought a couple of beers and passed one on to him with the admonition that he not tell their parents. Brianna and Leopold would have a fit if either of them found out that Owen had bought Morgan a beer. At the least it would have ended up in a stern lecture. At worst it would have meant an extended (and painful) sparring session in the family gym for both of them: Owen for buying the drink in the first place and Morgan for drinking it. Morgan still remembered the scene when Adrienne had been caught doing the same thing.

_**"I think that when Jordan spilled her beer on the carpet mom had had imported from Earth and couldn't clean it up in time, she did the only thing that she could: blamed it on Adrienne. I still remember Addy's reaction to that and her response to Jordan's treachery. Mom punished them both and the three of them didn't speak for a good three or four weeks afterwards.",** remembered Morgan as he took another sip of his drink. _

Owen was looking at the crowd around them and enjoying himself. Wearing his set of leathers with an élan that his brother couldn't quite pull off, Owen swigged from his drink. He was brushing the foam off his pencil thin moustache when a polite hand tapped him on the shoulder. Turning around to greet whomever it was that had tapped him, Owen froze as his eyes took in the stern looking attractive woman in the short leather skirt. He knew an undercover person when he saw one.

"Yes, may I help you?", said Owen as he put his mug down.

"When you arrived, my friend saw the patches on your jacket and wondered if you actually had ever been to New Edwards Base.", stated the quiet woman in a friendly tone of voice that didn't match the calculating look in her eyes.

Owen stiffened slightly. He hated it when people questioned him about the patches on his jacket. Replying quietly but with an undercurrent of strength in his voice he told her that he had been there during the First Gundam War.

"I was wounded at New Edwards when my mobile suit took a hit. When the Wing Gundam blew up Marshal Noventa's transport, I was nearby. And before you ask, I was a member of the Specials at that time. After I recovered from my injuries, I ended up with the White Fang. Do you or your friend have a problem with that?"

Owen was surprised when the woman's smile changed from cool and calculating to one of warmth.

"If you don't mind, could you follow me? I believe my friend would be interested in meeting you."

"Only if my younger brother can come with me will I follow you."

"That will be fine. My friend always wants to meet with relatives of those who are veterans of New Edwards."

Owen nodded and put his beer down on the table. Rising to his full six foot one and a half inch height, Owen motioned for his six foot younger brother to follow him. Morgan, seeing the look on his brothers' face, placed his own mug down on the table and got up to follow.

Several yards away, on the other side of the room, Prince Miliardo Peacecraft watched as the female member of his royal guard led two young men in his direction. As he had entered the area earlier, Miliardo's preternaturally sharp eyes had flowed around the room and spotted the two patches on the back of the young man's jacket. Dressed in his own motorcycle leathers in a shade of red to match that of his beloved and much lamented Epyon, he took another sip from his soda. Glancing across the table at his wife, Miliardo saw that as was usual of late, his beloved Lucrezia was lost in thought.

"Lu, is there something wrong? You've been staring at nothing for the past few hours and you've rarely touched your drink.", spoke Miliardo in his cultured voice.

Wearing her own two-tone leathers, Princess Lucrezia Noin-Peacecraft jerked her head sharply in the direction of her husband. She saw that Zechs (she preferred to call him that) was again looking at her with concern. For the past few weeks, whenever they were together, he had asked her the same question. And each time her answer had been the same.

"I'm fine love. I really am. You need not be worried, especially not with your race against the mystery rider tonight. With that on your mind, I'm surprised you still have time to think about me. I'm touched by your appreciation though.", answered Noin with a shake of her short black hair.

For a long time after they were married, there were those at court who wanted the princess to let her lustrous black hair grow long. Noin had done so for about a month and a half before caring for the silky black locks that fell to around mid-back got on her nerves and she cut it back to its usual length. It had scandalized the gentry when the princess had requested a special session of court and in the middle of it, had her husband cut it back to its normal length. The first person who had commented negatively on it had hurriedly recanted his comment after suffering one of the glares she had used on her students at Lake Victoria Base. Since then, nobody who wanted to live to a nice old age ever discussed Noin's choice of hair style in public.

Noin watched as Zechs gritted his teeth at her answer. He was beginning to get a bit anxious about her health.

_**"I hope he never finds out about my condition until the time is right. If he finds out too early, the big oaf would get more protective of me than he is now. I know I've canceled some recent appearances but Sally says I need to ease up on my schedule. Besides, those appearances would've been nothing but bores anyway. I'm ecstatic I don't have to show up and be bored to tears again.",** thought Noin as she smiled inwardly at what her doctor had told her several weeks ago. _

Not happy with his wife's evasion but willing to let it slide, again, Miliardo returned his attention to the approaching young men. Looking closer at the taller of the two, a thrill went through him. He knew that man, knew him almost as good as he knew the woman beside him. Standing up politely, Miliardo waited. He couldn't remember the name right off the tip of his tongue but he remembered visiting the former soldier in the hospital after New Edwards then seeing him again with the White Fang armband later in the war. Owen grinned as he watched the man he knew as 'The Lightning Count' stand up. Stopping precisely five paces from Zechs and coming to attention, he snapped his hand up in a salute.

"Former OZ Specials Lieutenant Owen RichardTanisius reporting as ordered sir.", snapped Owen crisply before his guide could get a word in.

Out of habit, Zechs returned the salute. Instead of dropping his arm, he reached across the intervening space and took the younger man by the arm and pulled him two steps closer. Once he was nearer, Zechs shifted his grip from Owen's arm to his hand and gave it a friendly shake. Giving the former mobile suit pilot a critical once-over, Miliardo turned to face Noin.

"Noin, you remember Lieutenant Tanisius, don't you? Didn't he graduate from the Alliance Military Academy a year or two after us?", asked Miliardo.

Noin indeed remembered the young Tanisius. Before she'd met Zechs, there had been a time when she along with some of the other female students had been drawn to the quiet young boy. However, when Zechs arrived on the scene, Noin had shifted her attention to him to the exclusion of all others.

"Yes I remember him. In his time at the academy, he was one of the best. When he graduated, his scores were nearly as good as ours. In fact, I think he is either the third or fourth on the list of all-time high scorers at the academy.", returned Noin quietly.

"Actually ma'am when I graduated my scores had eclipsed both of your scores by one point, but a couple of hefty demerits kind of landed me back in the line.", cut in Owen.

Miliardo nodded before turning to the young man next to his former comrade in arms. Taking that as a cue, Owen introduced his younger brother and mentioned that he had been on Earth for the past few months and would be transferring to Saint Gabriel's Academy within the next few weeks. Miliardo nodded when hearing that.

"Ah, my sister went to school there as did Duchess Catalonia-Winner. In fact I believe the young Duchess Khushrenada is attending school there as well.", commented Miliardo.

"Yes she is. I happened to meet the young duchess and some of her friends the other day.", stated Morgan dryly.

Noin narrowed her eyes at Owen's brother and asked what he thought about the young duchess.

"Highness, Duchess Khushrenada is an interesting person but I wasn't too keen on her friends."

"Oh really?", questioned Noin.

Catching the warning tone in Noin's voice, Zechs wondered what his wife was getting at. Glancing at Owen he saw that he too had caught the tone and was surreptitiously trying to get his brother to shut up. Looking at Morgan, Miliardo saw that he knew what his brother was doing and was ignoring it.

"_**It seems this young one likes a verbal challenge. This ought to be interesting. Noin won't let an insult to Marimaia and her friends go unchallenged. Still, I wonder what's been up with her these past few weeks. Either she's changed or something's wrong.", **thought Miliardo as he sat back to watch and listen. _

Morgan, unlike Devon, didn't care much about being a sidepoint to the conversation between Owen and the prince. He was grateful to have met the legendary man but didn't appreciate the icy cool tone of voice from his wife when his new school had been brought up.

After the fiasco involving Owen, Jordan, and the paper with Devon's photo in it, the parents of the five had gotten down to the real point of their call. When he had found out that he was going to be attending Saint Gabriel's Academy, Morgan had gotten stubborn and vehemently protested his transfer. As usually happened when one of their offspring didn't like what they were hearing, Brianna and Leopold gazed at their son emotionlessly. Even separated by thousands of miles, Morgan had cringed at the unspoken promises in his parents eyes. His siblings had subtly shied away from him when 'the gaze' (as it was called) fell upon the youngest of the five. Violently suppressing that reaction, Morgan met the verbal challenge head on.

"With all due respect highness, it seemed to me that Duchess Khushrenada's friends were more interested in me as a potential boyfriend to the duchess rather than in thanking me from keeping their friend from falling when she ran into me. Although I do believe that a Ms. Aziza Barkari was the only one to thank me when I caught Duchess Khushrenada and kept her from being injured.", stated Morgan calmly.

Noin lifted her eyebrow in surprise. Anne Une hadn't mentioned anything about Marimaia falling.

_**"I take it that Mari didn't tell Une about it because she knows that Une would've gotten worried if Mari had been injured. This bears investigating.",** thought Noin. _

As his wife thought on young Morgan's words, Miliardo quickly seized the opportunity and regained control of the conversation. Feeling Noin's icy glare on his back, Miliardo quickly changed the subject and questioned Owen on his injuries and what he had been doing since the end of the War.

Across town Sylvia Noventa pulled the little black convertible that had been left at the back of Noventa Manor into the driveway of a dark house in one of the more influential neighborhoods of the city. Stopping next to the keypad situated beside the driveway, the blonde politician glanced at the bags sitting on the small backseat before rolling down the window and reaching a hand out to tap in the digits to disarm the security system. Perusing the small slip of paper with the six numbers on it for a bit to make sure she got the code right, Sylvia punched in the numbers on the sheet. Once the numbers were inputted into the device and she pressed the enter key, Sylvia dropped the slip on to the center console and shifted the car from neutral into first gear. Not knowing what to expect the young woman started slowly up the short driveway.

Unknown to Sylvia, the code she had punched in had accessed the main security database and allowed it to activate the remotes placed ten feet apart underneath the concrete and asphalt driveway. As the vehicle passed over each remote, another subsystem was activated. The first system to be activated was the power system. It activated the lights and an advanced central heating and cooling system. Sylvia was fifteen feet up the dark driveway when the gaslamp style guide lights started to come on. As she drove the car past the first lamp, select lights in the house came on and Sylvia caught her breath.

The house that had previously been hidden by the darkness came alight and Sylvia was granted her first sight of a large beautiful two story house and its attached two-story, three car garage. The first floor had a porch that extended from the front door around the corner towards the rear of the house. Two large windows peered out from the side of the house underneath the balcony. Another window hung three steps to the right of the front door.

By now the little black car with the deeply tinted windows was halfway up the driveway and had passed over a few more of the remotes embedded in the ground. One of these had a weight sensor tied into the garage electronics. Taking the weight of the vehicle and its passenger and running it through numerous algorithms in seconds it deduced that the approaching vehicle was a compact car. Realizing this, the sensor ordered the main garage computer to open one of the garage doors when the vehicle approached close enough.

Passing over the last couple of remotes embedded in the driveway, Sylvia pulled up to the garage. As she pulled up, she saw that one of the white-painted doors had started to quietly slide open. Pulling into the indicated garage, the second most important woman in the world shut off the engine and climbed out of the car. Reaching back into the car, Sylvia pulled out the small overnight bag that Thomas had placed in the car as she had gotten ready. Being the efficient butler that he was, Thomas hadn't allowed Sylvia to get in the vehicle before he had his people thoroughly go over the small car. Letting a small smile grace her face as she thought about the man who had served her parents and grandparents for many decades, Sylvia closed the car door and made her way to the doorway from the garage to the house.

Pushing the door open, Sylvia found herself in a well-lit walkway. Looking to the right through an open door, she could see the dimly lit kitchen. Carrying her bag with her the young woman followed the hallway until it opened up to a space where three doors vied for her attention. Going to her left she went through the doorway situated there and found herself in a spacious yet intimate and cozy family room with a serious home entertainment system (with the requisite big screen TV) situated against the far wall. Stepping over to the couch and love seat, Sylvia ran her free hand across the soft chamois leather of both and reveled in its feeling. Turning away from the couch, the baroness nearly tripped over an exquisite coffee table with an obsidian base, which was covered by a smoky glass pane preventing anyone from seeing anything beneath. Going over to the entertainment system, Sylvia turned it on and soon the sounds of classical music filtered through the house. As she went to leave the cozy room, she spotted what looked to be a speaker for an intercom although in her opinion it was rather large.

Leaving the family room Sylvia continued on to the next door down. It turned out to be both the entrance to a storage area and the stairs to what she assumed was the basement. Not wanting to go down there just yet, Sylvia turned away from it and went to the third door in the immediate area. Gently pushing on the oaken door, Sylvia found herself entering a respectable sized dining room with a hazy glass wall which looked on into the kitchen. Again as she was leaving Sylvia spotted the speaker by the door and wondered what it was for. Leaving the dining room and walking up the hallway a few steps brought her to the foot of a small curving staircase to the second floor.

"I'll go upstairs a little bit later.", she told herself before turning around and heading for a small door across from the stairway.

Once she had pushed the door open enough to look inside, Sylvia's mouth dropped. In front of her was a spacious living room with a pristine deep plush white carpet. Afraid to track dirt from the garage onto the gleaming white material, Sylvia removed her shoes and left them where they were. Entering the living room, it took her eyes a second or so to adjust to the brightness of the room as the soft fluorescent lights reflected off everything in the room. To her immediate left was the parquet floored living room main entryway. Stepping further into the room, she saw the two full-sized crème colored couches that faced each other in the middle of the room over a coffee table that was twice as large as the one in the family room.

Continuing her explorations of the living room, the vice foreign minister saw two high backed chairs. One chair sat at each end of the massive coffee table in between the two couches. Making her way around what she intuitively knew were original classics, Sylvia looked into the corner between two of the sliding glass door on to the porch. Situated in the corner on its own parquet floored space was a gleaming black baby grand piano that glistened as if freshly polished. Scattered around the room in between the many windows and four sliding glass doors sat several two person love seats for intimate conversations between two people. Beside each love seat were two end tables, each of which had a single candle standing in the exact center of each table to provide an intimate atmosphere for those conversing. A single breath as she leaned over one of the candles told Sylvia that every candle was scented with smells linked to an intimacy of the closest kind.

At the far end of the living room, Sylvia could see a pair of doors which she assumed led to the dining room. A quick check confirmed her assumption. In the far corners of the living room stood two life-sized panther statues as if they were sentinels; their glittering opaline eyes watching the room from their places. In between the doors stood a long rosewood buffet server with artwork scrolled into the wood.

Taking one last look around Sylvia noticed that the living room-like the family room, dining room, and kitchen- had several museum-sized paintings hanging from the walls. Many of the paintings depicted the large cats of the African plains and other locales around the world as they sat in the shade, stalked their prey, and if her animal anatomy class memories could be correct, participating in the mating dance of life. One of the larger paintings (it took up one whole wall of the living room by itself) caught Sylvia's interest. It depicted a lion and lioness so old that grey could be seen streaking the male's mane looking on as five lion cubs gamboled around. Absently tapping her chin with one delicate finger, she wondered what it could signify.

Deciding to ask Devon about it later, Sylvia carried her bag through the door and headed for the stairs to the second floor.

As she reached the top of the steps and stretched, Sylvia saw that she had entered another hallway. Turning to her right, she went to examine those rooms first. The first door she opened gave Sylvia the shock of her life. In contrast to the cleanliness of the other rooms she had seen so far, this room was a mess. Gently stepping into the room to make sure to not clod on anything breakable (Sylvia was still in her stockinged feet. She didn't want a cut. Although the though of getting cut and having Devon take care of it did give her a tingle of anticipation). Reaching out with her left hand, the young politician found the light switch and flipped it on. Her first impressions of the room were correct, it was a mess; however it was the kind of organized mess where the resident could find anything quickly if they needed it.

"Correction, two residents.", stated Sylvia as she saw the bunkbed pushed up against the far wall near one of the windows.

Deciding to not worry about that room, Sylvia exited the bedroom and continued on her way down the hallway.

_**"Devon must know the owner of the house and is probably the godfather of the owners' children."**, thought Sylvia. _

Moving on down the hallway, Sylvia passed a full bathroom that matched the half-bath she had found downstairs. Entering the next door down, Sylvia soon found herself in a small den meant for children if the medium sized television and numerous toys and game consoles situated haphazardly around the room attested too. Gazing around the room, Sylvia's attention was drawn to the matching computer desks situated by the largest window in the room. The computers on each desk matched each other in every respect except one. One computer's processing tower was a bright vibrant red while the other was a gleaming coral pink. To her experienced eye, Sylvia saw that the computers weren't computer store specials. Each computer looked as if it had been built from scratch by hand with loving care and from the quick glance at the server situated on the table between the desks; Sylvia knew that those two computers packed a lot of processing power into those two small remarkably painted towers.

"Those computers look as if Relena's husband built them. Probably can outperform the system I use at the Foreign Ministry. I'll have to get Devon to see if he can get the builder to build a couple of computers for me. One for work and one for home.", commented Sylvia as she left the sitting room and headed back the way she came.

Approaching the top of the stairs where she had left her bag, Sylvia started in the opposite direction. Opening the door with a gentle push of her hand, she came to a dead stop in entryway to the room she hadn't explored. The first thing that caught her attention in the room was the large fireplace at the far end. The room itself seemed situated over the foyer and part of the living room if Sylvia's mental guesstimation was right. The next thing that caught Sylvia's attention was the well-cared for bearskin rug lying on the carpet in front of the fireplace. Above the fireplace sat a big screen television that was connected to a smaller version of the entertainment system in the family room. Behind the rug and several steps in front of a single door was a black leather couch that looked much more lived in than the couches downstairs. Passing behind the couch and going over to the windows, Sylvia looked out and saw a cozy balcony for two with two covered chairs and a small table covered by a tarp that matched the ones that covered the chairs.

Seeing no way to access the balcony from this sitting room, Sylvia figured that the only way to get on the balcony was to access it from the room beyond the closed door. Taking a deep breath, she made her way to the door and slowly opened it. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light the first thing she saw was a pair of paintings on the wall to her right. The first painting was of a man carrying a woman over his shoulders. The painting gave Sylvia a pause as she realized that the principals of the painting were nude. To her it didn't seem as if the man was kidnapping the woman, it seemed that she had been hurt and he was carrying her away to safety or was ferrying her to a hidden location for a secret rendezvous. Sylvia could imagine the long strides of the man in the painting relaxing the woman as she was carried like a prize. It didn't take the Sylvia long to guess that the man was taking the woman to a place where their passions could be given free reign. She shuddered as the erotic image of the possible destination found its way into her psyche.

Turning her attention to the other painting, Sylvia saw that the central figure in this painting could possibly be a queen or someone of other importance bathed in a light that came from above. Her full breasts were uncovered while the secrets held between her legs were hidden behind a simple loin cloth or bikini bottom. In the foreground of the painting, Sylvia could see that the queen's secret admirer was naked and carried a rose behind his back as he stood hidden behind a wall. It didn't take an art expert to see that the observer was transfixed by the mahogany goddess standing in the light. Sylvia's eyes traced the well- defined muscles of the naked man. Shifting her gaze back to the woman, Sylvia could see that the artist made it look as if the woman was the source of the flame of light she was standing in.

Shaking her head, Sylvia further entered the room and turned around the corner of the wall. There she stopped again and stood staring agape at the made up king-sized bed in the middle of the room. To the right of the bed, she could see that there was a single set of French doors that led out onto the balcony. On the wall above the head board of the bed hung another painting. This one was a simple painting of a woman dressed in a white shift with a white cloth wrapped around as if protecting her hair. With her arms posed above her head and the simple smile on the figures face, Sylvia could guess that the woman was the artists' depiction of an African queen.

"This has to be the master bedroom. Whomever this house belongs too; I must give him credit where credit is due in his selection of art. He chose the right pieces to accent this house to the best of its potential. I'll bet anything that he had the hardest time finding the right pieces, especially for the master bedroom. The two pieces on the wall separating the bed from the view sets the tone for the room itself and the intimacy that goes on in this room. The painting above the bed shows that the owner wants a simple lady to be his lifemate. I've gotta get Devon to tell me who owns this house and where they found such great pieces of art.", Sylvia said as she left the bedroom to retrieve her bag.

An hour or so later, Sylvia had put away her things, showered and dressed. Taking Thomas' advice, she had packed her complete harem outfit in the small bag. Now wearing the complete outfit with nothing on underneath it and the satin sleeveless, transparent, full-length robe over it she settled in to wait. Sylvia had already gotten an intimate fire going in the fireplace upstairs and had lit a couple of the scented candles she had found in a well-hidden linen closet. With the windows open allowing a soft cool breeze to flow in the room and the stereo playing a compilation of music for lovers through out the entire house (Sylvia had figured out that the speakers she'd been seeing in each room were tied in and allowed music being played in one room to filter throughout the house. It had taken her a minute to realize it but every thing came together when she accidentally bumped the speaker in the kitchen while checking out the bottle of champagne she had found in the kitchen and the music from the master bedroom was piped downstairs to the speaker in the kitchen), Sylvia stretched herself out on the bearskin rug and waited.

Soon her dark knight would arrive and she would whisk him away to a paradise of passion.

**Author's note: I apologize for the three page description of Devon's hideaway. I wanted the readers to imagine the house as I described it. The exterior description is based on the design of a real house I see at work just about every night. The interior design I came up with on my own. Please tell me what you think. The three paintings I described above are three actual paintings I saw while I was in Atlanta on vacation a short while back. I don't know the names of the first two, but the name of the painting that hangs above the bed is 'Queen'. I described it as close as I could to the actual painting but it's a painting that defies description. (I had a photo of the painting and described it off the top of my head). If I can ever find a copy of the painting I'll attempt to describe it in more detail. Thanks for reading.**

Back at the motorcycle cruise, Miliardo Peacecraft was getting anxious. It was getting close to one in the morning and the mystery rider still hadn't shown up. He wanted to get this race over and done with; Miliardo hated being kept waiting more than anything else. Standing outside next to his motorcycle, the Peacecraft Prince conversed with his brother-in-law. Heero was still smarting over the remarks by the sniper in the meeting that he had arrived late for at Preventor Headquarters the day before.

"Dammit, I wish he'd hurry up. He's already an hour late.", snapped Miliardo.

"Calm down Zechs, the only thing that everyone does know about the mystery rider is that he always shows up when he is challenged.", returned Heero calmly.

"Yeah I know but I have other things to deal with in addition to this. I know I challenged him but he could at least call and give some sort of heads up that he's going to be late. I even gave him my personal vidcom number."

"Yeah, you did. But you know that the mystery rider doesn't talk. Even when he shows up he does all of his communicating through handwritten notes. Damn, I wish Wu-man had beaten him last month. Then we wouldn't be waiting like this.", chimed in Duo Maxwell as he appeared with Hilde a couple of steps behind him.

Both Heero and Zechs nodded then turned to look up at the only place the mystery rider would race. The top of the mountain was still dark. It would only light up when the mystery rider showed up. All they could do was wait.

The person the Gundam guys were waiting for was a true mystery and if there was one thing that all of the guys had in common; it was that they hated mysteries. He had showed up at one of the cruise nights out of nowhere a couple of years ago. On his dappled brown, black, and blue three cylinder bike. With his matching leathers and darkly tinted helmet no one knew who he was. The only physical trait they could be sure of was that the guy was over six feet tall. Back then, the bike racers were just getting organized and everyone was challenging everyone else. They all wanted to be the top dog in the area. Even the prince and the Gundam guys weren't immune from that bug. The legend had all started when he'd raced a few times and beat most of the more aggressive riders with his fluid grace and elegant riding style (a helluva lot of horsepower helped too). Once word of those first ten or so victories passed through the community, there was no end to the riders who challenged him. The only thing he stipulated was that if he beat his opponents, they wouldn't challenge him again.

In the two years since his arrival on the scene, his legend had grown and he was reputed to be the best of the best. That brought him into direct conflict with the Gundam guys who were looking for more and harder challenges. The first of the six to race against the mystery rider was Duo. With his typically brash and non-conformist riding style, it was rumored that Duo was the man to beat the mystery rider with his brash personality. They raced and Duo lost by four bike lengths. Gracious in defeat, Duo had tried to get a look under the helmet and ended up with a majorly bruised wrist. Wufei had laughed at his friends' misfortune and vowed that he would be the person to beat the mystery rider.

When Wufei and the mystery rider met up for their race, Wufei gave the mystery rider his own stipulation. If Wufei won the race, his opponent would have to reveal once and for all who he was. The mystery rider agreed in his usual written fashion and demolished the solitary dragon by a good ten bike lengths. Those who witnessed the aftermath of that race say they witnessed a crackle of electricity between the two riders after the defeat of the Preventor Agent. Trowa Barton told Heero and Zechs that even the handshake between the two after the race wasn't the same as the one between Duo and the mystery rider. Where the mystery rider had calmly shook Duo's hand, he gave Wufei's one shake before disappearing into the night. Of course that insulted Wufei to no end and since then he's been at every race the mystery rider has competed in. Each time Chang made sure that he was the first person the unknown rider saw as he crossed the finish line.

Barton raced the mystery rider next. Trowa had watched both races and figured out the strategy the mystery rider used. Once they raced started, Trowa used the same strategy. It worked until the mystery rider got wise to what Trowa was doing and negated the advances Trowa had made. The one thing Trowa remembered from his race was the look that the mystery rider had given him when he turned and looked to see where Trowa was. It seemed to Trowa that the gaze was equal parts mutual respect and simple acknowledgment. Barton had seen his opponent measure him before wristing his throttle open to insane speeds that Trowa barely matched. In the end, the result was the same. The mystery rider beat Trowa by a couple of bike lengths. To date it was his closest victory margin ever.

Not usually one to participate in such competition, everybody was surprised when Quatre challenged the mystery rider. Even Dorothy was surprised although she hid it well and felt her own competitive juices burn. It had been a comical sight when Quatre informed his wife that she was not going to ride behind her husband as he raced the mystery rider. Of course Dorothy had refused to listen and the resulting shouting match could be heard throughout Preventor Headquarters. In the spirit of things, Quatre and Dorothy had compromised and Quatre issued his challenge with his own stipulation that the mystery rider find a passenger and make it a 'two-up' race. Everyone figured that even the mystery rider would balk at this and refuse to race. Again proving to the others he wasn't one to be underestimated, the mystery rider had shown up with a passenger. Upon his arrival there had been a slight delay as people complained that since the mystery rider's passenger was smaller than Dorothy it would be a big mismatch. In his ever present quiet way, the mystery rider had written a note to Dorothy asking her weight which she, of course, refused to answer. The mystery rider had persisted and in the end, Dorothy and Quatre's combined weight and experience riding two up before equaled to the lighter form and no two-up riding experience between the mystery rider and his companion and actually gave the Winner's the slight advantage. By the time the four people had crossed the finish line, the mystery rider and his companion had melded into a team and beat Quatre and Dorothy by two and a half bike lengths.

Now with four of the guys down and two left, Zechs knew that it would soon be his turn to challenge the mystery rider. To his vast surprise, a written challenge from the mystery rider had found its way to his office a few weeks before. Zechs had accepted it and was planning on doing a two up race like Quatre and Dorothy. However Noin had backed out and he was forced to race solo. With everyone standing around and waiting, Zechs wanted to go ahead and get it done. He was about to turn and complain to Heero again when his sister (looking decidedly un-Relena like in her tight hot pink riding leathers) looked up and pointed in the direction of the hill. Everyone whirled around and saw that the previously dark hill was slowly lighting up. Zechs turned to Heero and the younger man could see the wicked grin of anticipation fly across the face of the former Tallgeese and Epyon pilot. Heero felt the same; he too had been awaiting the arrival of this evening. He wanted to study the mystery rider and his style. If Zechs lost, then it would be up to Heero, as always, to salvage the pride of the six men.

Miliardo turned to his wife and bent his head down to hers. With a quick and quiet conversation, Noin kissed her husband before pulling the zipper of her husband's leathers up to his neck and securing it with the snap. Zechs gave Noin a wry smile and faced Heero who handed him his blood red helmet and Relena who gave him a hug and whispered in his ear for him to come back safely. He nodded at that and cast a glance over at the other Gundam pilots and their ladies. Wufei and Sally waved at Zechs. Trowa and Midii inclined their heads in a gesture of respect. Dorothy slit her eyes cat-like while Quatre grinned. Duo and Hilde came up to the blood red suited rider.

"Clean his clock amigo. Make sure he goes down and goes down hard.", yelled Duo while his wife just said a quick prayer for Zechs' safety.

Across the way from the gathered Gundam clan, the four Tanisius offspring (Devon had left a few hours earlier to take his friend home, much to Adrienne's relief and worry) stood by their two Ducati's or sat on the passenger pillions. Since they had ridden together before, Adrienne had sat behind Morgan on the red bike while Jordan sat perched behind Owen on the blue one. Throughout the night they had heard the rumors of the race and had planned on sticking around to watch it even though their mother had decreed (through the eldest of course) that they not miss church the next day. Owen and Morgan had groaned, Jordan had sighed, and Adrienne had growled at her three siblings. Devon hadn't responded so she wasn't sure if he was going to show up or not.

With three stunt titles awarded to them by the president of the bike club that had sponsored this cruise (Adrienne won the Queen of the Stunters title, the sisters won the female doubles stunt title, and Jordan and Owen had beat their brother and sister by half a point to win the mixed doubles stunt title), the Tanisius kids were relaxing and waiting for things to get interesting again.

With a plate of nachos (no peppers) in her hand, Adrienne leaned against the fairing of the red Ducati. She'd wished Devon could've returned to watch this race but realized that her brother had other things on his mind and she had let him go. Adrienne was violently squelching the thought of what Devon could be doing at that moment with his friend. It was something she didn't particularly want to think about, although Felicity had looked kind of attractive.

"Stop thinking about it Adrienne. You'll only drive yourself crazy with jealousy.", came the soft voice of her sister from her right.

"What ever do you mean, Jordan?", Adrienne asked noncommittally.

"Devon is a grown man. His personal life is none of our business, even if our brother **_is_** fucking Felicity. It's his relationship and not ours, or more specifically, yours to ruin. Devon isn't the five year old child you used to protect."

Adrienne glared at her sister with a look of thinly disguised disapproval.

Jordan sighed; Adrienne could be a real bitch about things when she got this stubborn. It hadn't taken a genius to figure out that her older sister was trying hard, and failing, to think about their brother and his date. When she had first seen Devon and Fliss arrive at the hangout, Jordan had worked her way over in their direction to observe if there was an actual relationship between them. She came away after a few minutes satisfied that there was nothing deeper than a lasting friendship and mutual respect between the two. Jordan figured correctly that at one time Devon and Fliss had been an item but she chalked it up to a case of whirlwind lust that had burned brightly but fizzled quickly. Rising from her spot on the fuel tank of the blue Ducati she'd been leaning against, Jordan finished her extra-long cheese hot dog and strolled over to the garbage can to deposit her trash.

With her natural sensual looks complimented by the form-fitting blue leathers and her graceful stride (something all the Tanisius children had in spades), Jordan was well aware of the appreciated stares she garnered from the gathered male half of the crowd. Ignoring it with the ease of experience, she turned in the direction of the drink counter to get herself a drink. After ordering her drink, Jordan turned around to watch the race preparations. There was a small lift to take bike and rider to the starting line at the top that Prince Peacecraft was now closing the door to. The second youngest of the Tanisius brood accepted her drink when the bartender dropped it off. Like Morgan, Jordan didn't particularly care for alcoholic drinks although she was known to occasionally imbibe whenever Adrienne stopped by L-1 during the semester.

At the top of the hill, the lift stopped and Zechs rolled his bike out of the lift car. Glancing up he saw his opponent for the evening. Standing next to the dappled brown, black, and blue machine and wearing his usual matching leathers and helmet with its dark faceplate, stood the Mystery Rider. With his arms crossed his chest and standing a full six foot three inches tall, the mystery rider exuded confidence and menace in equal amounts. When he was close enough, Zechs brought his bike to a halt and waited for acknowledgment.

The mystery rider had watched as his opponent had had a few words with his supporters before entering the lift and taking it to the top. Now he watched as the blonde haired man in the blood red riding suit studied him as if searching for a weakness. When Zechs had finished with his observations and had turned his attention to his bike, the mystery rider turned his attention to his own bike. He knew that his bike was ready, he'd tuned it up and did a quick triple digit test run before arriving on sight. Finishing up with a little tinkering, more to waste time than to do any real work to his machine, the mystery rider jerked his head in the direction of the starting line. Zechs nodded and both racers rolled their bikes up to the line for the start.

As they pushed their bikes to the white line painted on the ground, Zechs asked the mystery rider a question. As was his wont, the mystery rider didn't answer. He just shrugged his shoulders and rolled his bike up to its starting position. Waiting for his opponent to do the same, the mystery rider reached into a slit pocket on his riding jacket and pulled out the notebook he used to communicate with his opponents before or after they raced.

Zechs watched as the unknown man in the dappled riding leathers jotted down a quick note before passing it in his direction. Accepting the short missive, Zechs shifted his eyes down to read the note in his hand. Lifting an eyebrow in surprise, Zechs returned his attention to the man standing in front of him with his arms crossed.

"No, no special stipulations this time. I just want an exciting and clean race.", answered the prince.

Zechs saw the mystery rider nod and thought he could detect the beginnings of a grin through the darkly tinted face shield. The mystery rider penned another note and passed it to Zechs. He read it and grinned in return. He agreed that a race shouldn't be overshadowed by ridiculous stipulations and that it should be between two men and their machines (all the while ignoring the fact that if his wife hadn't backed out, Zechs himself would've been demanding a stipulation of his own).

At the starting line both racers performed some-probably totally unnecessary- last minute tasks before mounting their bikes and starting their engines. The two different engines rumbled in the cool night air of the former industrial plant; the four cylinders of Zech's bike sounding off with a high pitched roar in perfect and melodic counterpoint to the lower throaty rumble of the three cylinders coming from the bike of his opponent.

With the bikes straining to be unleashed from their positions on the starting line, the two racers nodded at each other and instantly a series of large monitors sprang into life around the course so that those watching the race could observe the riders at any point on the course. At the same time a red light a hundred yards from the starting line blinked into existence. To be perfectly fair, the race would start once the red light went out. That way nobody could accuse a person of cheating.

Oblivious to the roars of the crowds gathered around the twisty downhill run and garnered around the screens at the bottom of the hill for those who chose to watch the race via video link, the two racers sat crouched over their fuel tanks running through the multitude of thoughts in their minds. Down at the finish line, the Gundam guys and girls sat holding their breaths. They hoped that their mechanized two-wheeled gladiator would win but in the back of their minds they all knew that if the long-haired platinum blonde prince lost then the only chance they would have of beating this unknown whirlwind of cycling talent was their Heero. For the Tanisius quartet at the foot of the hill, they rejoiced about finding their long lost brother but worried about his evasiveness about his time during the time he was kidnapped and rescued and the time before the first Gundam War.

Up on the top of the hill, Zechs was trying to concentrate on his race and not on Noin. Recently, she hadn't been her usual gregarious and fun-loving self and he wondered why. Mentally vowing to find out what was wrong with his beloved whether he won or lost this race, Zechs pushed those self-defeating thoughts out of his mind. Thinking about extraneous stuff like that could get him hurt or worse. In contrast to his opponents' dire thoughts, the man next to him on the starting line was considering whether he should leave an email for a pair of people close to him when he went to put his bike up or when he got home. The mystery rider also thought about his pets and hoped that they'd been getting enough food and exercise since he last visited them.

_**"Oh well, I'll see them tonight when I get home.", **thought the mystery rider. _

When that thought cleared out of his mind at top speed, the mystery rider started concentrating on the race as well. He knew that at the speeds they were going to be approaching, one mistake and either his opponent or himself would be scattered across the asphalt and concrete mountain road.

The two men waited for the light to blink out and get the race started. Each rider was a pillar of concentration; five feet after the light was an extremely sharp left hand turn and both men would have to downshift from almost top speed to make the turn without flipping like a pancake. Since he was the one challenged, Zechs had gotten lane pick and he had picked the outside lane to give his bike a bit more room and he wouldn't have to go down as many gears as his opponent. Zechs was muttering to himself as he waited for the light to change.

"Clutch lever in, first gear selected, light but secure grip on the throttle to make sure I don't under rev and bog the engine down, right foot on the ground to give myself an extra push for that miniscule edge. I can do this, I can beat him. He's nothing compared to me. The mystery rider is good but I'm better."

Suffering from time compression, the competitors glared at the light wondering what was taking so long for it to go out. Just as their nerves were stretched to the breaking point, the red glow three hundred feet down the road disappeared. Immediately, both riders dumped their clutches and twisted their throttles to the stops. Tires screeched as the engines putting power to those narrow pieces of rubber roared in response to the abundance of gas poured into their combustion chambers. A parallel set of rubber stripes were painted for the first hundred feet or so of the race as Zechs and his opponent peeled out. Blue smoke billowed from the abused rubber compounds as they screamed for a mercy that wasn't ever coming. The triple cylinder roared its trademark three cylinder high pitched growl while the four cylinder engine ramped up a notch into a demented high-pitched, banshee shriek as for the first seventy five to a hundred and fifty feet the two were parallel. Then with its extra cylinder giving his machine a bit more torque, Zechs started to pull ahead. He knew that his original strategy was out the window from the minute they launched. Zechs had planned to trail the mystery rider for the first few turns to watch his style then pass him and use his overpowering horsepower and corner entry speeds to counter his opponents' cheetah like corner exit speeds. From watching his friends race against the mystery rider, Zechs knew that the triple cylinder engine had lower top speeds than his four cylinder machine but made up for that deficit with the explosive low end grunt needed to power out of turns rapidly, combined that with his machine's flickability, the mystery rider promised to be hard to beat coming out of the turns.

Zechs also knew that this course had several low, medium, and high speeds corners where his opponent could exploit that advantage. In addition to those corners there were, scattered around the course like snowflakes on the ground, a quartet of corners so frighteningly blind that most riders dropped to almost creeping speeds to make them. Even the mystery rider wasn't immune to that fear factor those corners gave.

_**"For those corners I'm just going to have to kamikaze my bike in and brake at the extreme last minute to neutralize his advantages on the other corners. I've observed him take those turns before and can be just about sure that he's never tried to take those corners at the speeds I'll be hitting. It's risky but it's probably the only thing I can do. And maybe the way I attack those corners will be enough to give me the slimmest of slim advantages to keep him choking on my exhaust all the way to the finish line.", ** mused Zechs as he downshifted and braked to set up his bike for the first turn._

Behind Zechs, the mystery rider was enjoying himself. From the tire shredding start to the straight out drag race to the first corner, to his present position getting an up close and personal look at Zechs' taillights, the mystery rider knew that he was in for the race of his life. Deciding to sit back and observe the bloodred rider and bike ahead of him, the mystery rider slowed down to negotiate that first turn. Usually being on the inside of the turn would be an advantage for a rider like him, but this time his opponent was as skilled as he was and used the extra power of his bike to edge ahead.

For those alongside the track watching the race in person and for those viewing on the screens below, the sprint to the first corner froze time. Many experienced riders cringed as the turn came up rapidly. When both riders negotiated the turn without harm, the crowd collectively released the breath that had been pent up for what was sure to be a horrendous accident. At the finish line, Heero wrapped his arms around his wife and his sister-in-law as both turned from the screen and hid their eyes. He knew what they were feeling, he too had been scared as Zechs and the mystery rider approached the turn but true to his personality, Heero watched. If anything happened to his brother-in-law, he wanted to be the first one to break it to Relena and Noin. He owed them that much for all they'd done for him in the short time they'd known each other.

Seeing that Zechs made it through the turn without incident, he gently patted the two women on the back and commented in a low voice tinged with a subtle enthusiasm.

"It's okay; he made it through the first corner. So did the mystery rider. Zechs is in front but the mystery rider is pacing him. Let's just hope and pray that both of them can make it to the end."

"Yeah, it doesn't matter who wins. As long as both of them are safe.", agreed Relena as she slowly turned to face the nearest screen to watch.

Heero waited for Noin to comment but wasn't taken by surprise when she didn't. Ever since she'd heard about the challenge and Zech's agreement to race, Noin had been a bundle of nerves. It was that in addition to her condition that she had refused to agree with her husband's plan to race two-up against the mystery rider.

"Please Zechs; come back to me safe and sound my love. If you crash and get hurt we'll never forgive you for it. Race to your hearts content but bring yourself back to me in one piece.", she sobbed quietly.

Heero felt the tears falling against his leather jacket but ignored them. His battered old jacket had seen its share of tears from different women over the years so this wasn't anything new for the young man. He was used to it. Whether it was Relena who was the woman crying into his jacket or one of the other girls, his shoulder just happened to be the strongest one around. Next to Heero, Sally was glaring at the screen and muttering dire imprecations under her breath. Wufei was ignoring them as usual but they were beginning to get on his nerves and he couldn't concentrate on observing the mystery rider so he could analyze his style, and in case Zechs lost, pass his observations on to Heero.

"Quiet woman, can't you see that I'm trying to watch this race? If Merquise looses, then Yuy will need everything he can to beat this person.", snapped Wufei, although it was without his usual incendiary tone of voice.

"Stifle it, shit for brains! I don't care about this dammed race like you and the rest of the guys do, I'm more worried about what could happen to Noin if something goes wrong!", returned Sally with a vehemence that contradicted her usually placid persona.

Stunned and trying not to show it, Wufei lifted an eyebrow. Her attitude did not bode well for his health for the rest of this evening. Deciding not to worry about it for now, Wufei just shrugged and returned his attention to the race where Zechs and the mystery rider were approaching another set of corners. Chang knew those corners pretty well, the mystery rider had blew past him at the end of them when they raced. Hearing shouts and cheers from his right, Wufei groaned. He wished that Duo and Hilde would learn some sort of control when it came to their emotions. They sometimes got too exuberant!

Duo and Hilde were all but jumping up and down as they watched Zechs lead the mystery rider through another corner. To others not who'd never raced against the mystery rider, it looked as if Zechs had a comfortable lead. However, Duo knew through experience that the mystery rider was just biding his time until he felt that it was right to strike. Duo had fallen into the same confidence trap when he raced the mute man on the bike. He'd felt as if he was on top of the world as he kept a comfortable lead, only to have his hopes dashed when a few turns from the end the dappled bike had come out of nowhere and blasted around him as they exited a turn. Duo described things to Hilde but kept his eyes on the screen.

"You see, that corner is murder if you come into it wrong and Zechs is right on. He's hitting all his braking spots and making excellent gear selections coming out of the corners. Zechs knows that the mystery rider is biding his time so he's waiting for him to make his move. You see, they've both backed down off the throttle for a bit to save wear and tear on both their engines and tires. Damn this is a good effen' race!! Hell, it makes me want to race that guy again. He's good damn good! If he beats the prince, Heero may just have a problem on his hands. Next to Heero, this guy's one of the best I've ever seen on two wheels. Not discounting my own mad motorcycle skills of course!", enthused Duo as the two racers hit another corner at breakneck speeds he wouldn't even think of attack that particular corner at.

"Of course, Duo dear. You've got mad motorcycle skills.", said Hilde as she rolled her eyes and cast a humorous glance at Midii Une standing over by Trowa.

Hilde had been observing Trowa and Midii ever since they had arrived. The two seemed at ease with each other with the experience of a long friendship. But, Hilde had noticed, sometimes Midii was a bit distant. She'd brought it up with Trowa once while Midii had been in the bathroom one day and in his quiet way, the six foot four inch tall man had told Hilde not to read too much into it.

"Midii has done some things…… that she isn't proud of and would prefer to keep them to herself. Just let it be, maybe someday she'll forgive herself enough to tell us what she went through during the First Gundam War. It's alright Hilde, Midii will be okay. She'll have to resolve her actions in her mind before she can be comfortable with telling us. She may never tell us but that's her prerogative.", Trowa had stated quietly before returning to the file on his desk.

Hilde was about to continue to ask about Midii but a lifted eyebrow glare and Midii's return from the lavatory had stopped her. Later that same day, she had gone to ask Une but the head of the Preventors had brusquely informed Hilde that it was none of her damn bloody business why her cousin was the way she was. Shrugging her shoulders and dropping the subject, Hilde had hurriedly exited Anne Une's office.

For her part, Midii was a boiling cauldron of fright, despair, and hope. She knew that bike. More importantly, Midii knew the man racing against the prince; knew him and his bike pretty well in fact. The last time she had seen that bike, and more importantly its' owner, Midii had been pinned against it making frantic love to its owner after a mission they had ran into each other on before either of them had joined Preventors.

_**"Why Panther, why are you here? Why are images of us together on that very bike tormenting me so? I love Nanashi with all of my heart and soul yet I keep having flashes of the times we shared together; on that bike and off. Dammit, this is so frustrating. How can I explain to the man I love and want to marry that I slept with the man that beat him in a race not once but several times, each time on a different mission. And each time the passion between us was so hot it burned me to the very core. Only the times I've been with you have even equaled my time with that dark assassin.",** thought Midii as she watched. _

Whether sensing her difficulty or just knowing the right time to give her support, Trowa reached out and carefully wrapped his arm around the small woman and gently eased her to his side. Only the warmth of his body and the love she felt for and from this quiet man kept Midii from giving in to the despair that weighted heavily upon her mind. Glancing at the tall man with the acrobatic physique with his short brown hair, Midii burrowed herself closer to his side and traced a finger gently around his profile. Feeling his subtle smile, she relaxed into his arms and let her thoughts drift away with the breeze.

Trowa felt Midii tracing his jaw with her finger and resisted the temptation to take a playful nip at it with is teeth. He was focusing on the race and its possible outcome. Seeing on the screen where they were on the track, Trowa narrowed his eyes. The two racers were coming up on one of the frighteningly blind corners Zechs himself had been thinking about earlier. In his race against the mystery rider, Trowa (not one to fear anything) had gotten so scared coming in to the turn that he'd nearly lost it. Trowa had fought through the fear then but for a month or so afterward had nightmares about what could have happened if he'd given in to his fear.

Closing his eyes and listening to the engines of the competitors as it cut through the cool night air, Trowa frowned. Among the Gundam group it was common knowledge that Trowa had the best ears out of the six. Trowa's score on a hearing test had even surpassed Heero's. And everyone knew how superior Heero's hearing was. Tuning the noise around him out and just concentrating on the sounds of the engines, Trowa could almost hear each individual sparkplug as it combusted the fuel. Something wasn't right, he couldn't place it at first but there was definitely something that wasn't right.

When Trowa heard the timbre of the mystery rider's bike change as he prepared to slow to take the turn and didn't hear the same thing from Zech's bike, his eyes flew open in shock. The only person who saw his distress was Quatre, and even then, Trowa wasn't sure if Quatre had felt it in his mind or if he had seen Trowa's eyes flash open. The young blonde multibillionaire came up beside his friend and lowered his voice. The first words out of Quatre's mouth confirmed what Trowa had heard.

"Yes, Zechs isn't slowing down for the turn. If I understood his thoughts before he climbed into the lift, Zechs had a strategy that counted on his staying back and bursting past the mystery rider at the end. However, just before the race started, he let down his subconscious mental shields for a second and one stray thought slipped through. The thought about how he was going to nullify the corner exit advantage his opponent has. I believe Zechs plans to charge into those blind corners at full speed and wait till the last moment to use his brakes. He knows that he'll use his brakes up each time he does but I think that he believes that's his only chance of beating this guy.", stated Quatre softly.

Trowa showed an uncharacteristic rage and swore sulphuriously much to the astonishment and surprise of his friends. Duo considered his dictionary of cusswords respectable yet Trowa was inventing curse words on the spot and that impressed the former 'God of Death' to no end. He whistled in respect before seeing the stormy look on Trowa's face. Dorothy was the first to comment on Trowa's expression.

The blonde Duchess of Catalonia had just gotten off the phone with one of Quatre's sisters who had come to the cruise night with them to watch her nephew while her brother and sister-in-law enjoyed themselves with their friends. It seemed that Jamal had taken a shine to the play area and was none too happy when his aunt brought him away from the toys. Dorothy's heart had twisted as she heard her son's cries over the phone but she knew that the family wasn't going to allow the new Winner Prince to be completely spoiled.

"What's wrong Trowa?", asked Dorothy in her deceptively calm catlike (and some would say annoying) voice that had served her well on many occasions.

"That dumbass Zechs is racing into the first blind corner on the course without using his brakes. He's going to attempt to take that turn at nearly full speed only employing his brakes at the last second. If he doesn't get his timing just right the royal family will be without its prince unless Noin is pregnant now or Relena has a baby in the future. Damn him! Does he know what he's risking? That idiot!", growled Trowa.

Behind him Noin paled then shared a covert look with her doctor. Heero caught the look but wasn't able to ask about it when Relena squeezed the hell out of his hand in worry. The glances and looks passed between the guys spoke wonders and Quatre was the first to give voice to what they all wanted to say.

"Well shit. Let's hope Zechs knows what the hell he's doing. However when this races ends and whether he wins or not, I'm kicking his royal ass!"

Duo, Heero, and Wufei all nodded in commiseration while Trowa looked at Midii. There was something in her face that disturbed him. She was worried like the rest of them however; Midii looked as if she was more worried about the mystery rider than Zechs. Furrowing his brow and narrowing his eyes, Trowa wondered if Midii knew who the person in the dappled riding leathers was. He pondered how well Midii knew the rider even if in fact she did know him. A part of his mind feared that sometime before Midii and this rider had had an affair but he quickly shook that thought away. It didn't matter if they'd had an affair previously, he loved Midii no matter what and come hell or high water Trowa was going to marry her.

Sally kept her mouth shut when Trowa made his statement about Noin expecting. Sally knew that she didn't cover her reaction well and that eagle-eyed asshole Yuy had to have caught her glance with Noin when the subject had been inadvertently broached but (no doubt to Relena's 'training' him in his tact) he'd kept his mouth shut.

When Sally had confirmed to the princess that she was expecting, Noin had sworn her to secrecy and made her promise not to tell Zechs until the time was right. Princess Lucrezia Noin-Peacecraft already had her husband's Christmas gift picked out and purchased. Since Zechs- like all the Gundam guys-was an accomplished spook (especially when gifts were concerned) Noin had bought the gift and hidden it with Sally's careful help. The gift had been very well hidden. Sally's lover had almost stumbled over it while staying at Sally's apartment one night, but Zech's gift had remained hidden. Of course, Sally had helped Wufei forget he'd ever seen the present by treating him 'extra' special afterwards.

Sally grinned as she remembered how nice Wufei had been the next few days after that night. Her smile turned to a frown as the doctor thought about the other secret she had on her computer and in the small refrigerator in her private office at headquarters. No one knew about it and Anne Une must never find out about it until Sally thought she was ready.

Up on the hill, Zechs' opponent was also trying to figure out why the blonde racer hadn't slowed down for the corner. The mystery rider knew how treacherous those blind corners could be especially at night. He'd taken a nasty spill on one several weeks ago during a very late night test and tune. The bruises had been extremely hard to explain away the next day at work. His superiors had ordered him to give a demonstration to cadets from the different academies and his shoulder had hurt all day from the jarring it took.

Unlike his competitors' friends down at the bottom of the hill, the mystery rider knew that Zechs' plan was a sound one and had he not been half expecting it, he would've indeed been surprised. As it was he was only mildly put out. The mystery rider did worry about the last blind corner near the bottom of the hill. A few days previous somebody had wiped out and there were still traces of oil that had been deposited on the entrance to the turn by the accident.

_**"I hope he's not so intent on competition that he misses those spots. If he doesn't see them and hits that turn at that speed it won't be pretty. All I can do is hope and pray that he sees them.", **thought the mystery rider as he braked and downshifted a couple of gears to make another turn. _

Once he was through the corner, the mystery rider twisted his throttle wide open and upshifted as he chased after the ruby lights trying to get away from him. He gritted his teeth and bore down. In order to keep his secret and to face the top dawg of the bunch, the mystery rider had to win this race.

Ahead of his opponent by a couple of bike lengths, Zechs was feeling no pain. He was walking on air; his strategy to charge in, brake at the last moment, and then accelerate out of the blind corner had worked well. From the time he had exited the corner safely and with a definite advantage on the other rider, Zechs had been exulting. He knew from that point on he was a lock to win the race.

****

_**"Don't get cocky Merquise. Just because you aced that turn doesn't mean that this race is over. There are at least three more blind corners like that on this track; two to the left and one more to the right. To make matters worse the last one is just a hundred and fifty yards from the finish line and it's a much harder right turn than the one you just navigated. Just because you aced him on that turn doesn't mean that he's out of the race yet. You know he likes to wait till near the end before making his move. Wait till after you cross that finish line in first place before celebrating.",** came the furious thoughts from Zech's conscious mind._

_**"It doesn't matter, I'm in the zone! Nothing can touch me! I got this race in the bag already, my opponent just doesn't know that yet.", **argued his subconsicousness._

At the bottom of the hill, Owen and Morgan were admiring the form of the prince as he rode the race of his life. Each brother had a soda in one hand and some snack in the other. Morgan had the remains of a bacon cheeseburger while Owen had a footlong smoked sausage with onions, sauerkraut, ketchup, barbeque sauce, and cheese on it. Owen bit into his meal and commented to his brother how he thought he could do against the mystery rider.

"He's good but I think I would give him a good race. I may loose but it'll be a close one. I think that the Ducati L-Twin engine would match up real well in cornering ability with his triple. What do you think, Morgan?", asked Owen as he took another sip of his soda.

"Bro, you're nuts. I don't think you could even come close to matching up with that guy on the triple. I'm better n' you and I couldn't beat him. Jordan and Adrienne are better than both of us put together and I don't think they could take the mystery rider. The only one of us who could possibly take him down would be Devon and I'm not that sure about that.", returned Morgan with a grin.

"Who says you're better than me squirt? You, I don't think so. I'll agree that our sisters are a tad bit better than us but Devon being better, nah I don't believe it."

Morgan lifted an eyebrow at his brothers' words. Morgan had seen the bike Devon had been riding. To his somewhat experienced eye, the youngest Tanisius had spotted some of the basic modifications to the bike. It had taken Adrienne's more experienced eyes to point out that several heavier pieces of the bike had been replaced with a far lighter, stronger, and more durable metal alloy. When he had asked what metal could be that light yet strong enough to take the increased power of the engine, Adrienne had frowned before quietly informing him that alloy that had replaced the original was Gundanium.

Now watching the race between the prince and the mystery rider, Morgan could see that the mystery rider's bike was mostly made of the same material as some of the parts on Devon's bike. That got him to thinking but before he could dwell on the thought for long, a cheer came over the crowd. Looking up at the screen, Morgan could see that Prince Peacecraft had negotiated the second blind corner with the same banzai style he'd done with the first. Only this time, the mystery rider had followed him in and was now inches from Peacecraft's rear tire.

As he was watching the race, out of the corner of his eye Morgan saw a scuffle erupt. Gazing over in the direction, he watched for a moment before getting ready to return his attention to the race. As he was turned he saw a flash of a blue riding suit and a very familiar fighting style. Returning his attention to the fight, Morgan was about to settle back an enjoy Jordan whupping the shit outta somebody when he saw the silver suited figure of Adrienne rush in. Slapping Owen in the back of the head, Morgan pointed in the direction of the fight. Owen's eyes grew wide when he saw what was happening.

"Aww dammit, not again; let's go Morgan. When those two get to fighting somebody's about to get hurt; usually the poor soul who started the fight in the first place.", snarled Owen as he pushed off his bike and sprinted in the direction of their sisters with the strength and speed of his namesake.

Morgan followed a step or two behind Owen and soon the brothers found themselves wading in towards the crowd of bystanders. Liberally using their elbows to move people out of the way (sometimes tossing the more recalcitrant over their shoulders) Owen and Morgan made their way to the conflict.

Jordan Nicole Tanisius sighed to herself as she kicked another of her opponents in the jaw and pressed on. Everything had been going fine; they had been watching the race and enjoying themselves. When Adrienne had left to go to the bathroom, Jordan had followed so they could talk while washing their hands. As they exited the crowded women's restroom, the two sisters had been conversing with each other. They were almost back to Owen and Morgan when a guy had made a pass at Adrienne. Adrienne had ignored the man and flashed her engagement ring before continuing with the conversation. Unfortunately that hadn't dissuaded the brute and he'd grabbed Adrienne by the arm (much to his friends' approval) and tried to pull her away. Adrienne hadn't flinched or anything, she'd just slipped out of the drunks' grasp and punched the guy in his throat, thus shocking the crowd. Returning her attention back to her sister, Adrienne had let it go. However, the intoxicated guy's girlfriend took offense at her actions and had grabbed Adrienne's hair. Now the one thing that Jordan had never done in all of the times she and Adrienne had physically fought each other was grab her sister's hair. Adrienne prided herself on her hair and it absolutely infuriated her to have her hair pulled. Mix that with her already incendiary temper and you have a deadly cocktail of one really pissed off woman nicknamed after the largest and most aggressive big cat out there.

Jordan watched as an evil light come into Adrienne's eyes and a demented smile come over her face. Groaning in resignation, she waited for what she knew was coming.

"Ohh for fuck's sake, she had to up and grab Adrienne's hair. Now I just hope that my sister doesn't kill her.", muttered Jordan as Adrienne whipped around and pounced on the woman like the predator she was nicknamed for.

Within two minutes, Adrienne had delivered fifteen punches, two kicks, and a powerful backhanded slap to the offender. The poor girl shrank back as she faced an avatar of doom. She'd retreated and that would have been everything if the drunken assholes' friend hadn't punched Adrienne in the stomach and folded her up before turning to Jordan with an evil leer on his face and his hand poised to punch Jordan. Seeing the punch coming, Jordan had slipped back into her capoeira training and avoided the punch before striking with the speed of her own namesake with an axe kick to the top and back of his head. As the bum fell, his chin met Jordan's rapidly rising fist thus knocking him out and stretching him out on the ground. From there everything just snowballed.

Punches and kicks were flying everywhere Jordan looked as she ducked the wild swing from another woman and thrust her left knee into the woman's midsection with enough force to knock her breath out before throwing a left jab into the woman's breast and knocking her away. With a quick glance over at her sister, Jordan grinned as Adrienne laid out another guy with the heel of her boot before quickly retracting her extended leg to avoid it getting hit. Two rapid-fire upper cuts and a boot to the balls put another guy on the ground gasping for breath. With a small bit of room around her, Adrienne gave Jordan a quick wave before avoiding the kick from a third woman and wrapping the woman in a headlock. Yelling over to Jordan in their native language, Adrienne asked if she was alright.

"I'm fine Tigress. Just taking out the trash.", replied Jordan calmly in the same language..

"That's good Cheetah, now if only Leopard and Cougar would join in this fun."

Jordan chuckled. Her sister must be doing alright if she was calling this fun. She only laughed harder when Morgan and Owen replied.

"Tigress what did you do this time to piss people off? We can't take you anywhere.", commented Owen calmly in the same language.

"Have we ever been able to take Tigress and Cheetah anywhere without them either starting a fight, ending a fight, or fighting among themselves, Leopard?", chimed in Morgan.

"Good point Cougar. Damn good point.", returned Owen.

Jordan giggled when she heard her sister's explicit reply and suggestion to their brothers. It was quick, succinct, and to the point.

_**"At least Devon isn't here. Who knows what damage he could've done.", **thought Jordan. _

The fight ground to a trickle as it became apparent (probably by the yells of the crowd) that the authorities were on their way. It also became apparent that the race between the prince and the mystery rider was approaching its conclusion. Bets had been laid on the outcome and people were waiting to collect.

Back on the hill, the mystery rider had seen the fight and for a minute he'd wanted to jump in himself for personal reasons. He shook the thought away as he brought his attention back to the race. Knowing that the sharpest blind corner was coming up, the mystery rider intensified his concentration and continued to watch the taillights of his opponent. As he came around the corner and headed down the straight away towards the last blind corner, the mystery rider stiffened. His opponent was heading straight for the remaining spots of oil. And if continued true to form, he was going to wait to use his brakes till the last moment. Unfortunately, Zech's line was going to take him deep into the corner and when he hit the brakes to make the turn he was going to be right in the middle of the diminutive oil slick.

"Oh shit, his brakes are going to lock up and he won't be able to save it.", muttered the mystery rider to himself.

Up front Zechs was having the time of his life. He'd made it this far and was still in the lead. Looking ahead to execute his blind corner attack for the last time, the prince thought ahead. At that moment his eyes fell on the little black spots on the road and his heart froze.

_**"What the…. Is that? Is that…. Oil? OH FUCK!!!!", **ran the horrible thoughts through Zechs' mind as he franticly tried to come up with a way to avoid the oil. _

Zechs knew that in the bottom of his heart there was no way for him to avoid the oil in the middle of the road. Closing his eyes and resigning himself to his fate, Zechs muttered a prayer of sorrow for himself.

"My dearest Noin, it looks as if I won't have the chance at fatherhood. I wish you the best with your life and want you to know that I'll always love you.", murmured Zechs as he charged towards what he was sure would be an accident that would take his life.

So caught up in his thoughts, Zechs didn't hear the sudden roar as the man behind him revved his bike deep into the red zone of his tachometer and pulled up on the outside of the turn. Zechs didn't know this until he caught a glimpse of a dappled helmet just coming into his peripheral vision. He started to squeeze the brake lever with his right hand but abstained when he saw the violently shaking head of his opponent. Wondering if the mystery rider knew what was going to happen if he didn't slow down; Zechs' shook his head in amazement.

The mystery rider had done a series of lightning fast calculations in his head as he decided what to do to save the prince's life (he had later plans for the prince and he didn't want those spoiled by this). Knowing the rapidly approaching corner like the back of his hand, they mystery rider had judged the angles and came up with one result. Over revving his engine, to catch up and pull alongside the bloodred bike, the mystery rider had caught Zech's attention. When he saw the prince start to squeeze the brake lever for the front brake, he'd shaken his head. He didn't want the prince to do that. That would cause a double accident.

Lifting his right hand from his throttle, the mystery rider pointed at his right foot and gestured for his opponent to use the rear brakes but to not lock up the rear tire. It took a second for the prince to get it and when he did he just gave a short nod to indicate his understanding. The next thing the mystery rider did was to make a fist out of his right hand and motioned for him to ease up on the throttle. Zechs did so and his bike started to slow down but it still wasn't enough. He wondered what his opponent wanted him to do next and was caught by surprise when the mystery rider disappeared from his left side.

Zechs worried about his next move when a movement off to his right caught his attention. The blue eyes of the Prince of the Sanq Kingdom widened when he recognized the leathers of the mystery rider. At that instant of recognition, Zechs felt his rear tire start to slip and spin. Throwing his weight to the right side and extending his leg to help negotiate the turn, Zechs was astonished when the sole of his right boot made contact with the dappled brown, black, and blue fairing of the mystery rider's bike. Looking over, Zechs saw that his opponent had his triple cylinder leaned so far over that it was about to scrape on its right side. Just as his bike lost traction and start to toss him off into a low side slide, the mystery rider brought his bike upright and with it, brought Zechs and his bike upright. Locked together in a gravity defying ballet, one man used his leg to push up his bike and the machine of his opponent until both bikes were nearly upright.

Seeing what the mystery rider intended to do, the prince threw his weight to the left side and forced his bike up to the vertical position where he regained control. Once he was out of danger, Zechs grabbed the front brake lever and stomped down on the rear brake actuator and brought his bike to a screeching halt. Next to him the mystery rider recovered from his own near low side and did the same.

Toeing his bike into neutral and dropping his kickstand, the mystery rider ran over to where Zechs sat drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. As. he ran he reached into his pocket and brought out his ever present notepad. Jotting down a quick note, he held it up to the Prince's face shield.

_-"Are you alright?"- _read the prince.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just had the shit scared out of me.", heaved Zechs.

_-"Do you want to continue the race?"_

"No. I'm too exhausted. It doesn't look it but this was my last race. I have other things to take care of now.", replied Zechs as he read the second message.

_-"That's understandable. I know what you're talking about_."

Zechs looked at the mystery rider in surprise. This man had somebody waiting for him and he continued to race the way he did.

The mystery rider saw the unvoiced question in the Prince's blue eyes and nodded. He knew all to well what his opponent was going through. He jotted down one last message.

_-"Even if this was your last race, you can't tell me that up until you saw the oil weren't you having fun?"_

"Yeah I was. If that oil hadn't been there I would've beat you.", admitted Zechs.

Zechs watched as the helmet on top of his opponents head shook and it took him a second to realize that the mystery rider was silently laughing. He turned to go when he finished but wrote one last thing on his notepad and handed it to Zechs. Zechs chuckled when he read it.

_-"You wouldn't have beaten me if the oil wasn't there. I had figured out your plan after the first time you pulled it. I just would have over-revved my bike and came around the outside and passed you when you jammed on your brake. While you were downshifting trying to regain your momentum, I would've cruised on to the finish line."_

"With your skills I don't doubt it. So I guess you'll be racing Heero Yuy soon?"

The mystery rider nodded and penned another note.

_-"Not till next year, pass that on to him for me. Thanks"_

Zechs nodded since he was too exhausted to say anything and just waved as the mystery rider remounted his bike and rode off. Seconds later he heard the sound he had been expecting ever since he had forfeited. The mystery rider rang the bell at the bar to signify that he had won and all drinks were on him. The prince waited till his friends had gathered around him before reaching up and giving his wife a fierce hug.

"That's it Noin. That was my last race I have more important things to concentrate on now..", Zechs simply stated when faced with her questioning look.

Princess Lucrezia Noin-Peacecraft of the Sanq Kingdom stood in shock for a moment before grasping her husband tighter. Exhilarated and relieved the short and dark-haired princess closed her eyes and let her tears flow freely. This decision of his was something she'd been waiting on for a long time and now she finally had it.

_**"Now, my beloved, now we can be a true family.", **thought Noin as she just held Zechs close and vowing to never let him pull such a foolish stunt again. _

Down by the bar, the mystery rider glanced back up at the hill and saw the prince and princess embracing and nodded to himself. Looking at the clock on the wall, he saw that it was time for him to go. Mounting his bike, the mystery rider cast one last look around the former industrial plant. Pleased with what he saw, he started his engine, toed the shift lever into gear, released the clutch lever, and gave the victorious machine a slight bit of throttle to get it moving. Once he was moving, he angled the bike towards the exit and goosed the throttle a little bit more.

Approaching the entrance, the mystery rider came up on a pair of Ducati's with two riders on each. The four looked to be following his example and heading for home. It was late and he was exhausted. That race had taken a lot outta him. The mystery rider looked over at the four people as he passed. Seeing that the pillion seat riders on both bikes were looking in his direction, he gave them a quick nod before lifting his right hand off the throttle and reaching over and tapping the left side of his chest right above his breast. Nodding again, her returned his hand to the throttle and fed more gas to his engine with a twist of his wrist. The three cylinder engine roared in response to the demand placed on it. The bike accelerated and soon all the Ducati riders could see of the mystery rider was his rapidly disappearing ruby taillights.

Forty-five minutes later, the mystery rider was entering a warehouse in another neighborhood. Not deigning to enter the building through the garage doors he knew were on the side of the building, the mystery rider pulled his bike up a short ramp towards a pair of double doors situated at the end of the ramp. Reaching in his pocket, the mystery rider pulled out a single key. Inserting the key into the door lock, he gave it a half turn to the right. Hearing the click as the door unlocked, the mystery rider retracted the key and returned it to his pocket. Pushing the door open, he wheeled his bike inside the building. Once he had closed and relocked the door, they mystery rider rode the machine down the wide hallways. Passing several empty offices, the mystery rider and his bike finally pulled up in front of one office where the door stood open.

Shutting the engine off and entering the room, he reached out with his left hand and activated the overhead light. When the room was bright enough to see where he was going, the mystery rider wheeled his bike into the office and pushed it up on a hard plastic floor cover. He hated getting the carpet dirty. Last time that had happened, the mystery rider had had to pony up three thousand big ones to pay for the carpet cleaning. Shoving that dark memory from his mind, the mystery rider pulled his bike up on the carpet and put down the kickstand. Once the bike rested easily on its stand, he left the office.

After closing and re-locking the office door, the man walked down the hall until he came to a junction where three hallways met. Choosing to go to the left, he headed down the chosen hallway. Midway down the hall, he made a right turn and entered an old locker room. Once the door swung shut behind him, the mystery rider took off his helmet. The first thing that caught one's attention was the black diamond stud in his left ear as it scintillated in the dim light. It had been a gift from his elder sister. Both of his brothers had one and soon their father would also be the recipient of an identical black diamond stud earring.

The next thing that caught the eye was the perfectly trimmed moustache. If you raised your eyes just a bit, the mystery rider's glasses would come into view.

Once his helmet was off and sitting in the locker where his other clothes were, the mystery rider unzipped his riding leathers and dropped them on the floor. He was gonna have to get them professionally cleaned. Stepping out of the pile of clothes on the floor, the mystery rider turned to the nearest shower and turned the water on to it was at its hottest. Continuing to strip down to his birthday suit, the mystery rider took a moment to rub the primeval tattoo of one of Africa's big cats on the left side of his chest. Once he was ready, the mystery rider stepped into the steaming hot water and proceeded to let it wash away the road grime, stress, and muscle pains. The mystery rider relaxed and shifted his mind from competitive mode to his everyday mode.

Thirty minutes later, the mystery rider stepped out of the shower and dried off with the towel that hung on the railing outside of the shower. Putting on clean underwear and using an anti-perspirant, they mystery rider put on a set of his usual work clothes. The khaki shirt with the name tag over the right pocket and the gold badge over the left went on first followed by the dark green wool pants with the black stripe down the side. The second to last thing the mystery rider did was glide a pair of dark green athletic socks over his caramel skin. Rising up from the wooden bench in the locker room, the mystery rider carried a pair of black suede casual shoes out into the hallway. Turning back towards the junction, the mystery rider bypassed the original hallway and continued on down to another door. Pulling the steel door open, and reaching out with his right hand, the mystery rider flipped the light switches he'd found on. As the room lit up it became apparent that the mystery rider was in some kind of vehicle warehouse.

Glancing fondly at his usual transportation-a yellow jeep that looked worse than it actually was-the mystery rider chose a dark colored sedan with tinted windows. Leaning against the hood, he slipped his shoes on and tied them so they wouldn't slip. Returning his attention to the car, he opened the door and found that the keys were right where he had left them earlier. Sliding into the black kangaroo leather bucket seat, the man buckled his seatbelt then depressed the clutch before turning the key in the ignition and bringing the six cylinder engine to life.

Dropping the parking brake and closing his door, the driver of the car eased out into the wide aisle between rows of cars and turned in the direction of the garage door. Reaching up to the sun visor, he pressed a button on the remote clipped there and watched as the garage door slowly started to open.

Giving the car a bit more gas, he pulled the car out of the garage. Once he was out of the garage, he hit the garage door button on the remote again and the door began to close smoothly and silently. Driving towards the gate, the mystery man hit another button on the remote and all the lights in the warehouse went out. The security system made sure all the doors were closed and locked. Stopping at a pole in front of the gate where a security keypad was situated, the driver of the car rolled down his window, punched in a code on the keypad, and waited for the gate to open. When the gate was open, he pulled through it and stopped at another security keypad. Punching in the same code he had used on the inside; behind him the gate closed and he heard the click of the lock engaging. Smiling to himself in the rearview mirror, he shifted into first gear, sidestepped the clutch, and peeled out. He had someplace to be.

_**"Now time to go see Sylvia Noventa. We can discuss what she told me last night and to talk about my return to the sniper detail of her protection team.", **thought Devon Tanisius as he headed for one of his numerous private safehouses in the city. _

A few minutes later, Devon was pulling up to the keypad for the driveway of his house. Punching in a different code than he gave Sylvia, he checked the status of the grounds around the house and the house itself. He nodded as the small screen showed him several heat signatures moving around the grounds and one stationary heat signature lying on the floor of the second floor common room. Driving over the remotes planted in the driveway, Devon mentally tried to come up with a report that would appease Yuy and keep Une happy. He was still at it when he pulled into the middle garage of the three car garage and shut the engine off. Unbuckling himself and opening the door of the vehicle, Devon climbed out and headed for the door into the house. Before he reached the door, Devon pressed a button hidden in the door frame and waited while another, unseen, door opened just enough for him to fit through.

Pulling open the hidden door, Devon headed up the flight of steps that were hidden behind the door. Reaching the top floor of his garage, Devon walked down a short hallway with two doors on the left side. Going to the first one and pushing it open, Devon entered his home office for this house. The room was taken up by a desk with an advanced computer monitor in the middle of the desktop. To the right of the desk sat a wall of video monitors that showed the views from the video cameras scattered all over the property. Dropping into the chair behind the desk, Devon rotated it so he could see the monitors. Reaching down he grabbed a bottle of water from a desk drawer that had been converted to a mini cooler.

Looking at the monitors, Devon could see that his pets were active and they seemed to be happy. Turning his attention to the keyboard embedded in the desk, he tapped in a few commands and unlocked one of the pet doors into the house. Getting up from his seat and opening the water bottle, Devon left that office and went down to the hall to second door. Opening the door, the sniper entered a room that was completely bare. The only thing sitting in it was a battered old laptop resting on an overturned milk crate in the middle of the room.

Stepping to that laptop and dropping to the floor, Devon pressed the power button and waited for the laptop to boot up. When it did, he logged on to an anonymous instant message program and checked his contacts. The two contacts who were online were actually supposed to be in bed. Frowning, he tapped a quick message and sent it to both recipients.

_-"You two are supposed to be in bed, what are you still doing up?"_

Reading the hastily typed replies, Devon grinned. He knew a pair of excuses when he read them. They were pretty good though. Typing in his next message, he waited for the replies. When they came, he could feel the excitement coming through the fiber optic cables.

-_"Yes, I'll be picking you up from school tomorrow. There are some people I want you to meet after church. Now if you want me to take you where you want to go next week when I get a day off, the two of you need to get in bed. Now!"_

Reading the hurried messages, Devon waited till the two recipients had logged off before he logged out of the service and logged onto his personal home page (the one the Preventors didn't know about). Logging in and checking the messages, he saw that there were numerous requests.

_**"Hmm, looks like several people are looking to hire the Panther. Lets see what they're saying**.", thought Devon as he rapidly scrolled through the messages in his inbox._

In the next five minutes, he turned down some requests, accepted others, ignored some others, and replied to several people that he would have to think about still other contracts. Of the three contracts he accepted, he saw that two targets were presently on Earth. For those two contracts, he checked his schedule for Foreign Ministry trips before requesting more information on the targets. Accepting the contracts also set his computer to back-hacking where the requests came from. He frowned as he recognized a name.

"Looks like I'll be taking care of another Preventor problem when I deal with that guy.", muttered Devon as he logged off and shut down the laptop.

Returning downstairs to the garage, Devon reactivated the security on the hidden door and headed into his house. Entering the house through the kitchen, Devon discarded his shoes and headed for the stairs. Walking up the stairs and turning towards the common room, Devon rubbed his neck, it was a bit sore. He had just stepped inside the common room when he stopped dead in his tracks and cast his gaze upon the figure reclining in front of the fireplace (where a merry little fire was going) on the bearskin rug. His nose caught the smell of scented candles and his eyes took in the flickering flames around the room before being drawn to the beautiful woman in front of him.

"What took you so long, Preventor Agent Tabris? I've been here all by my lonesome with nobody to protect me. I believe that is a dereliction of your duties. Do you know the punishment for neglecting to protect the Vice Foreign Minister?", came the seductive voice of Sylvia Noventa.

Devon's eyes took in the outfit she was wearing and recognized it as the one she'd tried to seduce him with at Noventa Manor, with one glaring and obvious difference. Through the filmy material, Devon could see that the vice foreign minister was naked. Devon unconsciously let his eyes drift to the junction of her legs and hips and the pleasures that lay hidden from his sight. Devon could barely make out the vice foreign minister's blonde thatch of pubic hair through the translucent material.

Sylvia could see that her state of near undress was having an effect on the man standing across from her. Taking the initiative, she moved closer to him and reached a hand to gently caress his face. When Sylvia touched Devon, she felt him stiffen for a moment. Letting her hand slowly trail down from his cheek to a point in the middle of his chest, Sylvia felt the rapid beating of Devon's heart as he tried to figure out what was going on.

Sylvia let her hand rest on Devon's chest a moment longer before deciding to take her attempt at seduction to the next level. Rising to the tips of her toes, the full-figured young woman reached up and pressed her lips to his. It took him a moment to respond and when he did it seemed to her that he was a bit reluctant. Increasing the pressure of her kiss and wrapping her arms around his neck, Sylvia gently pulled him forward into the kiss. Taking a hold of his arms, Sylvia maneuvered his hands till they rested on her hips. When Sylvia felt his grip strengthen and slowly pull her closer, she exulted.

Devon lifted his lips from Sylvia's own to take a moment to breathe. He returned his attention to the pouting full lips that were demanding his attention. A minute into the liplock he'd initiated, Devon shifted his attention from Sylvia's lips to the soft skin of her neck. He trailed gentle kisses and little nips down to the top of the halter just above the swell of her breasts. Devon gloried as he heard the E.S.U.N. vice foreign minister gasp as his lips started to work their way back up to her mouth.

While his lips tasted Sylvia, Devon's hands had taken on a mind of their own and were slowly but gently gripping her buttocks. His thumbs found the elastic waistband of the harem pants and he started to slide them down her slender legs. He stopped when Sylvia reached down and pulled them back up before stepping out of his grasp.

"Ah, ah, ah…. Let me do this my way.", said Sylvia in reply to his questing look while waggling her finger from side to side.

Once she had finished coyly chastising Devon for trying to move things along, Sylvia stepped back in his arms. Instead of replacing her arms around his neck, she put them on his waist and started to undo the buttons on his khaki uniform shirt. After undoing the first couple of buttons, Sylvia replaced her fingers with her teeth. Moving slowly, Sylvia unbuttoned the next few buttons before growing bolder. After each new button undone by her teeth, she'd gently bite the sniper on the skin she'd just exposed. By the time she'd reached the topmost button, Sylvia had grown so bold that she just took a hold on the plastic button and suckled it before yanking it off of his shirt.

Stepping back, Sylvia spat the button out and watched with much interest as Devon's shirt hung open and exposed the solid chest she'd been fantasizing about ever since the ball the night before. As his ripped shirt draped open, Sylvia's greedily licked her lips until her attention was caught by the primitive tattoo on the left side of his chest. Catching her cocked head and curious look, Devon gave her a partially true explanation for the marking.

'I had it done a few years ago. I saw it in a tattoo parlor and it caught my interest."

"Hmm, I see. I wonder if a tattoo like that would look good on me?", voiced Sylvia.

Devon had his reply all planned out but to his dismay, the words that came out of his mouth weren't the ones he'd planned on saying.

"Why would you mar such perfection? You are perfect you don't need an accoutrement like this. A tattoo like this would only mar the perfection you already are.", Devon stated in a voice tinged deeper by the lust he was starting to feel.

Hearing the timbre of Devon's voice change as the lust he was trying to suppress filtered in, Sylvia all but ignored what he actually said. Again reaching up and wrapping her arms around Devon's neck, she crushed her body to his and kissed him with the passion she was feeling. Taking control of the situation, Sylvia started stepping backwards. How she managed this while her senses were being overwhelmed by the prolonged kiss, Sylvia never knew. Sylvia only knew where she was when one of her heels hit the head of the bearskin rug and she felt herself falling.

_**I don't care if I'm falling! I don't care if I hit the ground hard enough to incapacitate me! I only care about being in the here and now with him! That's all I care abut right now, not the E.S.U.N., not the foreign ministry, not anyone or anything. Right now all I care about is being here in his arms.", **thought Sylvia as she fell. _

Devon's senses were taking him on a whirlwind ride. Sylvia's perfume (same one she wore to the fall ball noted Devon unconsciously) and the intoxicating taste of her lips had shut down all of the higher functions of his brain. The part of his mind that was still functioning (and it was rapidly approaching its saturation point) noted the increased pull of gravity and sent a message to his still functioning-at vastly reduced levels-limbs. It took a microsecond for his reflexes to kick in but when they did, Devon caught the vice foreign minister about a foot off the ground.

Releasing the pressure on each other's lips the pair stared into each others eyes and saw the lust reflected there and all inhibitions flew out the window at hypersonic speeds. Devon gazed into the lipid blue eyes of Sylvia and everything he wanted to say just froze in his throat. Sylvia looked back into the grey irises and saw the storm forming in them and just nodded slowly.

"Just for tonight, let us forget who we are and just live for the moment, Devon. We deserve this more than anyone else.", said Sylvia quietly.

Devon just grunted and gently lowered her to the soft bearskin rug. As her lust-amplified skin and its bundle of nerves touched the soft fur, Sylvia gasped. Her sense of touch was going out of control, she felt every strand of fur intimately and it sent her into paroxysms of bliss.

So carried away by the new level of touch was the VFM, that Sylvia almost didn't realize it when Devon slid the satin robe off of her shoulders. Gazing up in his eyes, Sylvia let her hands find and undo his belt before unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. Using her hands and watching with rapt attention, Sylvia slowly tugged Devon's pants off of his legs. When he stepped out of them it didn't surprise her that she'd inadvertently tugged his boxer briefs down with his pants.

_**"Lucky me, I don't have to fumble with them later. Now if only he would return the favor.", **exulted Sylvia as Devon gently ran a finger over her midsection. _

"Oh that f-f-feels s-s-so good!", moaned Sylvia.

Devon quirked his eyebrow into a grin that Sylvia found aphrodisiac-like and she strained to relieve herself of her suddenly constricting clothes. Devon saw Sylvia's predicament and grinned again.

"Looks like we have a slight problem here.", he said.

"Slight problem, yeah. So how are you going to solve it Mr. Perfect Sniper-man?", shot back Sylvia with her lust-filled voice almost breaking.

"I could do it the easy way and use my hands or I can do this."

"Do wha…….oh that. I th-th-think that way works best!", cried Sylvia as her voice broke.

Devon smothered a chuckle as he bent down to the prone blonde on the rug and placed his mouth on her bare belly and covered it in kisses before slowly sliding down and taking a hold of the elastic waistband of her harem pants with his teeth and pulling gently. Sylvia writhed in a blissful ignorance kind of agony as her body jerked spasmodically.

Through all of Sylvia's bucking and grabbing, Devon was able to slide her harem pants down enough to expose the blonde thatch of hair pointing the way towards her interior in stark relief to his earlier hazy glance through the material of her outfit. The room suddenly filled with the scent of her arousal and Devon nearly lost it completely. With his low growl of restrained animal passion smothered by the elastic waistband of Sylvia's harem pants and the musky scent of her arousal ricocheting around in his nostrils, Devon yanked the soft gauzy material the rest of the way to her ankles.

Stretched out on the bearskin rug with Devon's naked body all but covering her, Sylvia kicked out of the harem pants. Now wearing only her halter top which-according to her rapid firing senses in overdrive-was still constricting her 32C breasts, Sylvia felt Devon's hands roaming gently over her sides and arched her back so that it rose a few inches off the floor. Once she felt that her torso was just high enough for Devon to slip his hands underneath so his fingers could reach the back of her halter top.

After a few whispered suggestions, Sylvia felt the fingers that were driving her insane tap out a seductive rhythm on her back before swiftly loosening the straps that kept the top from slipping off unpredictably and lifting the satin-like material over her head. Raising her arms to assist Devon in freeing her breasts, Sylvia sighed as they bounced freely after being released from restraint.

Tossing the offending garment that was obstructing Sylvia's chest across the room, Devon's eyes lingered on the two newly freed from their satin-like prison mounds of flesh as her magnificent orbs jostled one another. Through the lenses of his glasses, Devon's preternaturally sharp eyes picked up on the fact that Sylvia's nipples were erect and rock hard. He felt his own erection as it dragged along the silky smooth length of Sylvia's legs. His emotions were stretched to the breaking point and he suspected that if he didn't sheath herself in her softness soon, it would all be moot. Sylvia must've felt the same way. As she was kissing him senseless, she muttered something against his lips.

"Devon, my love; sheath yourself inside of me. I want to feel you as your cock fills me completely. Do it now!", murmured a breathless Sylvia.

Offering up a silent prayer, Devon did as she had bid him to do and slid his manhood into her wet and waiting softness. The simple touch of his skin to hers was enough to make him loose all control and his penis started pumping its seed inside of Sylvia as he climaxed. So lost in the feeling, Devon barely felt it when he pierced her maidenhead barrier. A question about it popped into his mind but was pushed away when Sylvia's body reached its climax and the walls of her vagina clamped down around his penis with a strength he'd never felt before. None of the other women he had been with in this way had ever clamped down around him this strongly. Not even when he and the female assassin known as the Swan had been together.

Sylvia felt his release as it pulsated through her warmth and it triggered her own release. She'd allowed an inadvertent gasp of pain to slip through her clenched teeth when he'd broke through her hymen with one thrust but the pain had faded and in its place was a feeling of pleasure and bliss. Tightening and releasing her hold on the bearskin rug, Sylvia screamed her lover's name when she came and felt vindicated when she heard Devon call out her name hoarsely. When her tremors of lust had passed, Sylvia opened her eyes and found herself looking into Devon's deeply concerned eyes. She read the question in them and answered.

"Yes, you are my first. And no, you didn't hurt me. I'm touched by your concern though. It just makes me love you all the more.", she whispered happily.

"Sylvia, I'm more concerned about you. I didn't … I mean I forgot the. Oh damn.", returned Devon.

Sylvia guessed what he was trying to say and raised a finger to his lips to silence his protests.

"It's okay Devon, I should've either brought some on my own or given you a short time to go and get some protection. Right now all we can do is pray. Next time We'll be better prepared.", she stated.

Hearing the tone of her voice, all Devon could do was nod in agreement. Next time he would be better prepared.

The two lovers lay together on the rug still joined as one until Devon withdrew himself from her center. As he did so, Sylvia felt a sense of loss and sighed. Devon pulled himself up the rug until he lay next to Sylvia. With slight exhaustion in their eyes, the two smiled at each other before dozing off for a short rest. Before she was completely asleep, Sylvia asked Devon about the large pet doors she'd noticed while in throes of passion. Devon commented that they were for the pets he had running around in the wooded areas around the house.

"But those pet doors are larger than normal!", she whined sleepily.

"I have some large pets. Now go to sleep.", replied Devon.

A few hours later, Sylvia woke up. Sighing happily to herself, Sylvia opened her eyes to look around. At first her surroundings confused her then she remembered that her sex-induced sleep had lasted for maybe forty-five or fifty minutes before both she and Devon woke up and made love again. After that session of exercise, Devon had picked Sylvia up in his arms and cradled her to his strong chest as he carried her into the master bedroom. With an emotion in his smoky eyes that she couldn't define, Devon had gently laid Sylvia on the massive king-sized bed in between the soft cotton sheets before climbing in next to her. Once he was in the bed and situated just right, Devon had drawn Sylvia close until she was using his chest as a pillow for her head. When Sylvia was comfortable, Devon had covered the both of them with the sheets and the black Alpaca wool comforter. Together as one with their hearts beating in unison, the new lovers slept soundly.

Lifting her head up, Sylvia looked around the darkened room dimly lit by the flickering flames from the diminished fire. Softly smiling to herself, Sylvia hummed a little tune as she glanced over at the other side of the bed. She wasn't surprised to find it empty. Guessing that Devon was out on the balcony, Sylvia got out of the bed and padded on bare feet to the French doors that lead to the balcony. Opening the door and stepping out, Sylvia was aware that there was nothing between her skin and the elements. She felt that the weather had turned chillier in the time that they were asleep. Wincing as the bite of the cold concrete and wood made itself apparent on her bare feet, the vice foreign minister slowly strode to the end of the balcony facing the sitting room and peeked around the corner. There sat Devon in one of the now uncovered chairs. Sylvia let her eyes adjust to the darkness for a moment before standing at the corner and watching him.

To Sylvia's not completely night adjusted eyes, Devon was as naked as she was yet the chill in the air wasn't affecting him to the same extent as it was affecting her. She shivered as a particularly bitter gust of icy cold wind blew through the balcony area.

"There's a robe on the chair if you're cold. Come and join me if you want.", floated Devon's voice through the night air on the silent wings of the wind.

Sylvia was too cold to answer but started to make her way in Devon's direction. Devon heard the chattering of Sylvia's teeth and quickly got out of his seat. Striding in the cold woman's direction, Devon grabbed the robe up off of the chair where he'd placed it. When he was close enough to the shivering naked woman, Devon pulled her into his arms and held her before wrapping the robe around her shoulders. Once she had stopped shivering and was slowly starting to warm up, Devon cradled Sylvia in his arms effortlessly and carried her back to the pair of seats next to the table. With Sylvia in his arms, he lowered himself back into his chair and leaned back. Devon heard a soft cooing sound and realized with a chuckle that it was coming from Sylvia as she relaxed into his gentle embrace. Looking down at the beautiful woman cradled to his chest and saw that her eyes were closed and she was wearing a serene smile on her face.

_**"It was as if her being with me washed all of her worries away. All of the stress that I'd seen on her face in the recent weeks has gone away.", **mused Devon as he returned his attention to the backyard. _

As he was looking as the yard and mentally calculating when the next time he had to cut the lawn, Devon heard a set of soft footsteps approaching the corner of the balcony. It took him a minute to recognize them but when he did, Devon smiled and gently shook Sylvia to get her attention.

"Hmmm, what is it?", asked Sylvia in a relaxed tone of voice.

"You wanted to know what kind of pets I have right. Slowly turn your head towards the corner of the balcony. Don't be scared though, they're pretty big pets."

Sylvia sat up and lifted an aquiline eyebrow in an unspoken question before facing in the direction indicated. Wondering why he'd asked that she go slowly, Sylva did as she was asked. When she was facing in the correct direction, she couldn't see anything at first and was about to ask Devon when she saw a pair of inquisitive eyes. Wanting to see what the eyes were attached to, Sylvia leaned forward mindful of the way that Devon's grip tightened gently to keep her from tumbling out of his lap.

Devon knew when Sylvia saw the larger of his pets; she uttered an almost silent gasp of terror and forcefully pushed herself back into his chest where she hid her eyes.

_"Devon, what the hell is a gawddammed panther doing on your balcony!", _she screeched.

He was about to answer when he heard the soft growl coming from behind him. Turning just this head, Devon saw that his other pet had snuck up behind them. Shaking his head once, Devon muttered a few soft phrases in his native language and was rewarded to see that the smaller cat had calmed down. Glancing back towards the bigger cat, he gave a slight mewing sound.

With her head buried in his chest, Sylvia didn't know what was going on. She felt him turn his head to face behind him and then his chest contracting when spoke in the language she'd heard in the meeting the other day. Confused about it (but comforted by the soft rumblings in his chest where it vibrated against her face), Sylvia lifted her head up timidly and saw that the man she loved was now facing forward again. His chest vibrated once more as he made another noise.

"Sylvia you can look now. Just don't repeat your earlier actions. You startled Isis."

"Isis, who or what is Isis? Devon tell me what is going on here!", exclaimed Sylvia as she looked.

"Isis is the panther behind us that you startled. Now come on, I want you to meet both Isis and Rhahorus."

Figuring that Devon wouldn't be speaking this calmly if they were in danger, Sylvia sat up and pulled her head away. First thing she saw was the pair of eyes intently studying her and her paramour. The next thing she saw was the black fur of the larger animal. Behind the bigger cat, Sylva could just barely see the smaller cat. Devon spoke as she looked up.

"The panther in front is Rhahorus. He's been with me since he was a cub. Rhahorus is getting older and isn't as stealthy he had been when we first came in contact with each other. Behind Rhahorus is Isis. Isis is about a year or so old and still kind of getting used to me although she's calmer now than she was when we first met."

"Calmer? Explain calmer Devon."

"I will but first I want both of them to get to know your scent and your taste. Now when I call Horus closer, slowly extend your arm palm down and let him smell your scent. Once he does that, and don't panic when he does this, he's going to give your hand a lick so he can memorize your scent. His tongue is going to be rough at first but then it'll feel like a soft scrubbing brush. When he's finished, and seeing that nothing untoward has happened, Isis is going to come in and do the same thing. Don't panic otherwise you'll make them nervous. And a nervous young panther in close proximity is not a good thing."

Sylvia tentatively did as Devon had requested and extended her hand with the palm down. When she was at full extension, she stopped, her eyes locked on the larger of the two panthers as it took a few soft steps in her direction before kneeling down and flicking his tongue in her direction. Sylvia winced at first but relaxed as she felt the rough tongue of the large predator lick her hand as if satisfying its curiosity. When Rhahorus stepped back and Isis overcame her timidity and replaced him, Sylvia lowered her defenses a bit more. She started to lean forward but came up short as Devon tightened his grip.

"Don't. Wait till after they've known you a bit longer.", stated Devon firmly but quietly.

Sylvia nodded and let Isis finish. When the younger predator was finished with its actions, Sylvia saw the ears on both perk up and rotate towards the field behind the house. She heard another mewing sound and recognized it as coming from the man in whose lap she presently sat. Immediately, the two top of the food chain predators turned and bounded over the railing. Now that his grip had loosened a bit, Sylvia leaned over and watched as the two cats landed silently on padded feet and raced off towards the woodland areas behind the house. Seconds after the cats started moving; Sylvia couldn't make them out anymore due to their black coats.

"Don't worry about Isis and Horus they'll be fine. They must've caught the scent of a deer. The two will be back when they feel like it. Since its getting close to sunrise, why don't we sit here and wait for it?", asked Devon when Sylvia leaned back against her chest.

"That would be wonderful Devon.", sighed Sylvia in happiness.

The two lovers fell asleep sitting in the chairs on the balcony soon afterwards. Neither of them saw the dawn as it approached.

**_December 3. A.C. 201. Vice Foreign Minister's Office._**

It was a very casual Saturday at the E.S.U.N. Foreign Ministry Building. A jeans-clad Sylvia Noventa leaned back in her chair as she propped her booted feet on her desk. Sylvia, like some of the others in the foreign ministry (including Foreign Minister Relena Peacecraft-Yuy), was trying to get some extra work done before the politicians recessed for the Christmas Holidays. Plus, Devon's Sniper Team Delta was due to return that very day from an extended month-long training exercise overseas. During the exercise, several of the Team Delta snipers and spotters (including Devon and his spotter Silvermouse) had been assigned covert protection missions. Sylvia had also heard that a few of the missions that were assigned were in actuality Preventors-sanctioned assassinations.

Knowing that she wasn't going to get any meaningful work done with Devon's welcome home plans dancing around in her libidinous mind, Sylvia dropped the treaty she was co-writing with Relena and placed her hands behind her head. Ever since that one night when she and Devon were united as one, the two had carried on an extremely secretive affair. For all intents and purposes, Sylvia had moved in to Devon's house (she'd learned that he kept it along with a variety of other domiciles around the world, including one private island, under several pseudonyms. When she'd asked about that, Devon had changed the subject and told her to not ask that question again.) . Sylvia had also met his adopted twin daughters Silesia and Millennia who were middle school students at Saint Gabriel's Institute where they were acquaintances of Duchess Marimaia Khushrenada.

When she'd first learned about the twins, Sylvia had been slightly miffed because she thought that someone else had borne Devon children. She wanted to be the only woman who did that for him. However, that was before she met them. To say that Silesia and Millennia were twins would be stretching the truth a good long bit. Silesia was five foot five and had skin as pale as the morning snow while Millennia stood a couple of inches taller and had skin the color of dark chocolate. Both girls had long black hair that they took extreme care of. In learning the story, Sylvia had found out that during the first Gundam War, Devon had stumbled upon the twins (who were orphans born on the same day forty-five seconds apart and best of friends) after a mercenary sniping mission gone bad. Neither girl had been able to speak the others' language. Back then they communicated by hand signals and easy to learn words. When Devon had found them and learned their story, he'd taught them one of his native languages as well as English and some other languages. He also took time to teach each girl the language of the other so they could communicate better.

Whenever Devon could, he doted on his adopted daughters (he'd shown Sylvia the forged paperwork one night while the girls were asleep in their bedroom and asked her to not tell anyone about his breaking the law.). He taught them survival techniques he'd learned and mastered over the years and had taught them how to shoot although he wouldn't allow the eleven year old twins to have their own rifles. Both girls had reached sharpshooter status as members of St. Gabriel's Institute's shooting team and were ranked right behind Lady Une's adopted daughter at the school.

Getting up from her seat and stretching her arms while yawning, the full-figured baroness made her way to the window. She considered it a stroke of majorly good fortune that one of the windows in her expansive office looked down on the Sniper Annex and the helicopter pads on the top of that building. Crossing her arms over her sweater-covered breasts; Sylvia hummed a happy little tune. Devon had promised to take Sylvia and his daughters on a week long New Year's hunting trip vacation.

"After the Halloween fiasco and having to celebrate Thanksgiving while he was away on this training exercise, my baby will be more than ready for me as I will be for him. At least Silesia and Millennia are stuck at the institute trying to finish their finals. I'll have Devon all to myself for a few days. And the things I got planned, hooo boy.", commented Sylvia as she remembered how their relationship had almost been compromised on Halloween.

Sylvia remembered it like it was yesterday. Relena had convinced the political higher ups in the Foreign Ministry to throw a Halloween costume party. The foreign minister had even conned her brother the prince into coming and dressing up (with Noin's help of course). It had been an exciting and enchanting evening. Relena had surprised everyone (including her husband and older brother) by dressing in a very small French Maid's outfit that had Heero seeing red while Prince Miliardo had seethed. All of the Gundam guys and girls were there: Duo and Hilde, Trowa and Midii, Wufei and Sally, and Dorothy and Quatre. To no one's surprise, Quatre had dressed as a sheikh while Dorothy had worn some sort of harem girl outfit that Hilde Maxwell had begged to borrow after the party. Trowa and Midii had come as circus acrobats while Wufei and Sally had come as a prince and princess from China. Noin had convinced her husband to dress as a race car driver while she wore a short race queen's dress (much to Miliardo's dismay). Even Commander Anne Une had dressed up for the occasion as a very fetching female pirate. She'd ignored the daggers glared her way from her cousin when it became apparent that Trowa had seen that particular outfit on several occasions. As usual it was the Maxwell's that had taken the cake with their costumes. The eternal pranksters had silenced the room when they had entered dressed as the present Prince and Princess of the Sanq Kingdom, Zechs and Noin. Heero had laughed the most when he saw his usually cheerful friend trying to imitate Zech's charm, maturity, stoicism (Duo had done a damn good job at it too).

At the party, Relena had been surprised by her husband. During the week leading up to the party, Heero had flatly refused to even consider wearing a costume. Yet imagine Relena's vast surprise when her husband entered the hall wearing a beautiful set of samurai armor that even had Wufei jade green with envy. For her part, Sylvia hadn't placed much thought into her costume for the party since she was wondering if Devon was even going to be invited. (She'd vowed to not attend if Devon wasn't invited). Heero must've been in a relenting mood when she's casually asked if Devon had been invited. Since her lover had been invited, Sylvia had wondered if he was going to show up in costume or not because when she'd brought the party up one night as they lay in bed after making love, Devon had told her that he didn't celebrate the holiday like everyone else. He had learned before he became an orphan at a young age that his family stopped celebrating Halloween when the children reached a certain age.

Still trying to keep their relationship a big secret, Sylvia and Devon had decided to arrive at the party in separate vehicles. Sylvia had showed up costumed as a female Field Marshall Noventa. Devon had … arrived late. Sylvia was standing and talking to Relena and the other women while the Gundam guys made their own small talk when a figure wearing a old time one piece flight suit, g-suit, and helmet (with callsign) had entered the room. Immediately recognizing Devon by the way he marched through the crowd, Sylvia waited for his arrival at the group of women. It had been hard trying to listen to Dorothy and Relena talk about inconsequential stuff while trying to keep an eye on her lover as he made his way in her direction.

When Devon approached the group, he'd taken off his helmet (Sylvia had absently noticed the golden eyes painted on either side of the 'Panther' callsign and for some odd reason she remembered the eyes of Devon's big cat Isis) executed a parade ground salute in her direction and had barked:

"Field Marshall Noventa, Lieutenant Tanisius reporting for duty, may I please have this dance?"

In shock, Sylvia had returned the salute and accepted his outstretched hand. On their way to the dance floor, Sylvia was walking on air and didn't notice when Devon dropped the helmet in Heero's cupped hands. Eight hours later as the party was winding down (Hilde had already taken a drunken Duo home while Sally was about brain an inebriated Wufei with a handy candlestick for some asinine comment he'd made), Sylvia and Devon had made their way to her dimly lit office for some serious lovin. As they passed Relena's office door, the pair had peeked in and just happened to catch the Yuy's in the midst of their own private party. Heero had Relena spread out on her large (and spacious) desk and the couple were eagerly making love and not carrying who heard them. Sylvia had lightly slapped Devon on the head when he jokingly commented that he could make millions if he'd had a video camera.

Later, in Sylvia's office, the two were relaxing in each others arms as they came down from their hurried coupling in Sylvia's executive chair when the night security guard came knocking on the door doing his rounds. With both Sylvia and Devon naked as the day they were born and rapidly running out of time, the pair had hurriedly tossed the scattered clothes into Sylvia's private lavatory. Sylvia had grabbed a hooded cloak she occasionally wore while shoving Devon down to the space in front of the chair (luckily the guard couldn't see him because of the panel that ran across the space in question) . Just as the door opened, Sylvia did up the last button on the cloak to cover her charms. Sylvia had had to stammer her way through an obviously made up story to the guard while underneath the table, Devon was licking her body's core to distract her. Once the guard left; Devon had gotten Sylvia so aroused that she yanked him from his hiding spot, opened her cloak and mounted him then and there.

While she was reminiscing of her times with Devon, Sylvia heard a phone ring. Recognizing the tone as coming from the phone that Devon had given her that connected straight to him, she gasped in glee and hurried across the room to answer it. Grasping the small cellular phone with a sense of anticipation, Sylvia flipped it open and was greeted by the visage of her beloved. When she saw Devon's drawn face, Sylvia expected the worse. Holding her breath just in case of some bad news, she spoke and infused her voice with a tone of dripping with honey that she hoped covered her frightened emotions.

"Hello Devon. Welcome back to Brussels."

"Thanks Sylvie baby I'm glad to hear the sound of your voice and see your lovely face. We're about ten minutes out from headquarters. You'll probably see us from your window as we set up for approach to the helipad on top of the sniper annex even though I know you aren't idly staring out your office window.", replied a weary sounding Devon.

"Me stand idly by and wait for you to return home? You're making me sound like a sailor's wife.", replied Sylvia with a slight sense of eagerness when the word 'wife' was mentioned.

"I wouldn't dream of it, cutie pie. When we land, can you gimme about forty-five minutes to get my weapons cleaned, oiled, and packed away. I'm gonna have everyone lend a hand and maybe that task will get done quicker. After that I'm gonna hit the shower and get outta these clothes. Pull the Lotus Elan around to the gate and I'll hop in and we can go home. I'll leave my jeep here till Monday."

"Oh goody goody gumdrop, I'll get to have you to myself for an entire weekend. With Silesia and Millennia stuck on campus studying for finals, it'll just be us. You know I have several 'interesting' and intimate things planned.", stated Sylvia as she dropped back into her chair and let her husky voice drop an octave.

"That sounds very enticing. I can't wait to receive your charms. I just gotta ditch the mandatory doctor visit for those wounded Preventors. And you know how Dr. Sally is when it comes to wounded agents.", stated Devon absently as he rearranged the rifle case that was propped up in the seat next to him.

Sylvia froze, Devon had gotten hurt? How did that manage to happen on a live fire training exercise? He was wounded badly enough that he had to see the doctor? That was unfuckingacceptable! To get her beloved home quickly, Sylvia was going to have use her power as vice foreign minister to circumvent Preventor 'Standard Operating Procedures'. Sure, it was going to get Sylvia in hot water with both Relena and Lady Une as well as piss off Dr. Sally to no end (tough shit for her, thought Sylvia. She just considered it as payback for the doctor's abrupt handling of her last physical.). Bringing her attention back to the small screen on the handset, she noticed that Devon had turned his head towards the cockpit of the tilt-rotor aircraft to yell something at the two pilots in front. As he did, she noticed that peeking out from underneath his protective flight and communications helmet was a large rust tinted bandage. Sylvia's heart threatened to leap out of her chest; she recognized the rust colored blotch as dried blood.

_**"What the hell happened out there on this training exercise? It's no big secret that sometimes the larger scale sniper exercises are just covers for doing Preventor dirty work. Even Relena's big bad hubby had done some of those before they got married. What's the deal here? I'll have to pry it outta him when we get home.", **mused Sylvia as Devon returned to the conversation with her. _

Looking deep into his eyes through the tiny screen, Sylvia saw a bone deep tiredness that he was trying to hide from her. Deciding to not get too strenuous with him at the house, Sylvia changed her mind and vowed to have the hot tub running and the upstairs fireplace roaring when they arrived or shortly thereafter. Hearing Devon call her name, she returned her attention to his visage.

Since both of them knew and were fluent in several languages, the two often held their private conversations while speaking different languages. Sometimes they changed the language being used just about every other sentence. Right now, both Devon and Sylvia were using Italian-having switched from German shortly before Devon took his attention from her to talk to the pilots.

"Baby girl, I have to hang up now, we're approaching the helipad and will probably pass your office within the next fifteen to twenty seconds. Think you can give me a peek at what to expect tonight?", murmured Devon.

Sylvia grinned; she'd worn the loose fitting pale yellow sweater sans bra for just that very reason. She knew that he was going to place himself by a window and wait for her show.

"Just you make sure you have a window seat big boy! I gotta a nice pair of welcome home gifts for you. Did you bring me anything from overseas?", asked Sylvia in her seductive husky voice.

"That's for me to know and you to find out. I'll see you soon."

"Okay, see you soon. Love you much!", chirruped Sylvia as she hurried to the window.

When he didn't reply in the same manner, she pouted. So far in their affair, she'd been the only one to say those three words. He hadn't repeated them yet. Sylvia knew that she loved him with all of her heart and she had a very good suspicion that he loved her as well. She was prepared to wait for as long as it took to Devon to say those three magic little words. After all; hadn't the great Heero Yuy not told Relena that he loved her till he'd actually proposed one night even though it had been so obvious that he was so in love with the vice foreign minister it made his usually perfect work as sloppy as Maxwells'?

Flipping the handset closed and ending the call, Sylvia gave the little piece of technology a little toss and watched it as it landed on her office sofa before returning to the window and taking a hold of the bottom of her sweater. Gazing out the window, Sylvia searched the sky until she saw two dark specks getting closer and getting larger to the point where they were recognizable as two of the Preventors tilt-rotor aircraft. Grinning lasciviously out the window as she lifted her sweater up, she waited for the aircraft to pass.

Aboard Preventor tilt-rotor aircraft five-one-five, Devon sat next to his window gazing out of it in anticipation of seeing those twin mounds of flesh he so loved to fondle when he was with Sylvia Noventa. Over his headphones, his assistant team leader tried to smother a soft chuckle. Devon heard the attempt but ignored it. He was too busy to chastise Eagle for it anyway.

There! A flash of skin as the aircraft zipped past at around a hundred and seventy-five miles an hour. With his exceptional correctable eyesight, Devon spotted his lover pressing her ample (32C) breasts against the glass of her office window. In the split second look he'd been able to see, Devon noticed that Sylvia's nipples were erect. Once the scene passed out of his sight, the weary sniper turned his body away from the window and leaned back in his seat of canvas straps and closed his eyes. This last mission he and Silvermouse had gone on had been a bad one. Unconsciously he brought his right arm up to rub his left shoulder where he'd taken the hit from a .338 round. The target he and Silvermouse had been ordered to hit must've had some Intel about an attempt on his life and had brought in several of his own counter-snipers to protect him. One of the mercenary sonsabitches had topped his weapon with a dammed good high end scope. One that Devon would've killed to get if he was just depending on his Preventors pay, however with his alter ego he had four of the very expensive scopes.

It had been a rainy day where had Devon foreseen something happening and at the last minute he'd changed the weapons load out. Instead of one sniper with his spotter, Devon had told Silvermouse to grab his .300 Weatherby Magnum while Devon went with his tried and true 30.06. With the weapons change the team had gone from the usual sniper/spotter team to two solo snipers. It had taken them three days to creep and crawl to the point where they would separate before reaching their well concealed firing locations. On the lone day he allowed himself to rest, Devon had detached the scope from his rifle and glassed the area. Immediately, he sensed something was wrong. The target had more than tripled his protective detail and armed them with some first rate, heavy hitting weapons. The bastard had also invested in a band of mercenary snipers and it took Devon the rest of the day and all through the night to locate each and every one of those he considered as lower than the lowest recruit sniper. Yeah the guys were good but they did their job just for the money and nothing else. It offended Devon's senses that here were a group of snipers that had no allegiance to any one ideal. Yeah the Panther was an assassin but unlike these pieces of shit, the Panther sniped for an ideal and not just for the money.

Feeling the vibrations as the tilt-rotor transformed in preparation for landing, Devon opened his eyes and called the cockpit. He needed to make a quick call to the other tilt-rotor.

"Go ahead Tabris but make it quick, we're landing and I need all of my concentration to put 'er down. The helipad is covered by a dusting of snow and we're getting weather reports stating that a heavy snowstorm is headed in our direction. I wanna get this bird down safely, your team and equipment offloaded rapidly, get a full bag of gas and get the hell outta here before the storm hits. Otherwise me, my wingman, and our crews will be stuck here for a couple of days.", came the pilots retort.

"I understand, have your flight engineer connect me with my assistant on your wingman's craft. Once we're down and safe, your crew chief can help us unload our shit so you can get your gas and launch before the weather turns from nice and calm to downright uber dogshitty."

"Copy that. Chief, connect Tabris to Eagle on the other bird."

"Gotcha boss, one quick communications connection coming right up lickety split.", replied the crew chief into his helmet's boom microphone.

It took only a few seconds and the connection was set up. Using his command codes, Devon locked the flight crew out of his communications net and waited for his assistant to do the same. Once Eagle had done so, the two master snipers started their conversation.

"Eag, Tabris, you up and secure?"

"Yeah boss. How's Silvermouse doing? He took a nasty hit when that dammed merc got lucky with his seven-six-two.", returned Preventor Eagle.

Devon took a look at the young man stretched out in another canvas sling seat oblivious to the action going on around him. Nodding to himself as he observed the crew chief (who doubled as flight medic) check the young man as he made his way aft to the rear cargo door switch.

"He's fine, deep in the grasp of Morpheus and his second cousin Sandman. I'll wake him when we land, hopefully there'll be a carafe of coffee right inside the door to operations. How're things on your aircraft?"

"Everything's fine. Goddess and Raptor are arguing again. Snowbird is sacked out and Asgaard and Loki were playing a cutthroat game of poker with the crew chief."

Devon looked at the other four snipers on his aircraft. Ferret and Gladius were adding information to their sniper journals (small notebooks snipers carried with them at all times when on mission to record shooting conditions, targets, weapons, etc.) while Sentinel and Swordfish just looked out the windows. Sentinel was cupping a mug of coffee in his hands. Silvermouse was still snoozing across the aisle. He'd taken a hit during their mission as well but it wasn't as bad as Devon's hit. A clean through and through shot, it hurt like hell and bled a lot but a couple of aspirin, a bandage, and a shot of morphine had done wonders.

_**"If I'd been wearing the same armor as the rest of the team, I'd be in a lot worse shape than I am now. They'd have been carrying me off this aircraft on a stretcher if not a body bag. First things first, I'm standing down my team for a couple of weeks while I order new body armor for my guys. I wanna upgrade their armor up to the same specs as my personal armor and make it mandatory to wear the armor while on exercises like this or on actual missions. I'll get Gamma, Alpha, and Beta Team Leaders to start gathering sizing information on their people.", **thought Devon. _

"Okay Eag, first things first, once we make it inside the annex we're doing an informal after mission briefing while we're checking and double checking our weapons. Something about this targets actions were fishy. I mean, come on, hiring that many dammed mercenary countersnipers. Did anyone else run into as fierce counter sniping action as Silvermouse and I did?", asked Devon as the aircraft touched down nimbly on the helipad.

"Yeah, come to think of it, the other targets weren't as well protected as yours was. Even my target wasn't particularly well protected. Snowbird took out our primary with a single .223 round. Goddess and Raptor had almost as easy a hit as Snowbird and I did. I think next to your target, the target given to Ferret and Gladius was nearly as hard as the target you and Silvermouse got selected for. At least you took out the targets, his enforcers, and several of the mercs. Those merc snipers are a pestilence on our honorable profession.", answered Eag.

Devon could visualize his friend sitting in one of the sling seats with a piping hot cuppa the awful Airedale airborne coffee the Preventor pilots lived on.

"I see. Something's up and I don't like it. I wanna go over all the info we have and see if I can organize it before talking to the other team leaders. Maybe we'll get lucky with this if we act on it now."

Eagle nodded as he took notes in his own personal shorthand. He'd put a bug in the ears of his fellow assistant team leaders and start working his contacts. Like his team leader, Preventor Eagle-the top open sights sniper in Preventors-hated not knowing when something was up. In the sniper world, not knowing was fatal.

"Anything else, boss."

"Yeah, after the head shed in the weapons room, I'm gonna give you an address and a phone number. Don't write them down, they belong to the person who supplies protective armor to a…an….acquaintance of mine. Call the number and tell the person who answers you have a special order that needs filling. He or she will ask for an identification number which I'll give you. When he asks for your order, tell him you want enough specials to outfit the entire planet bound Preventor sniper corps across the board. If he asks for you to pay first, tell him to shove it and let him know he'll be well-compensated. Tell him to put a rush on it too.", stated Devon.

"What kind of special armor is this Tabris? What's wrong with the top flight military stuff we have now?", asked Eag.

"Eagle, let's just say it's a special armor and it's far beyond the top flight military stuff you're used to. Okay, you got that?"

"Yeah, I got it boss. See ya inside."

Devon nodded as he signed off the communications channel and handed his headset to the crew chief. The two tilt-rotors had landed and his snipers were started to disembark. Walking towards the rear of the aircraft where the cargo door had been lowered, Devon grabbed the last two equipment bags and hoisted them on his shoulders. Carrying the heavy bags and with his boots leaving unique patterns on the slight dusting of snow on the helipad, the master sniper headed towards the open door to the annex. Just as he stepped inside the door, his phone rang. It was Sylvia wondering how long it was going to be before he finished up in the annex. Devon explained that he was going to be a little bit longer than he'd originally said. It didn't take much to imagine the disappointment he heard in her voice. She perked up when he told her that he still wanted her to pull the little car he'd all but given her for a quick getaway.

"I'll see you then.", stated Devon.

"Don't make me wait too long. I may've had to change my original plans but don't worry, I won't hold it against you.", returned Sylvia before hanging up.

Flipping the phone closed, Devon followed his people and minutes after landing the snipers of Preventor Sniper Team Delta, were gathered around the tables in the weapons room. Devon started off the debriefing by having each sniper and spotter team go over his or her covertly assigned mission. All were different scenarios but (with the exception of Silvermouse who'd already been remanded to the gentle custody of Dr. Sally Po.) to a man they agreed that their targets hadn't been as protected as they had been lead to believe. This discussion went on for quite awhile and several snipers from the other teams had been irked that Team Delta was debriefing in one of the few rooms in the sniper annex that could actually be locked from both the inside and outside.

It was almost three hours later when the informal debrief ended and everyone had scrammed after checking and putting away their weapons. Devon and Eagle were the last two to leave and go their separate ways. Eagle reminded Devon that he had to report to the doctor to get his shoulder checked but he'd demurred and said the he was going to take a quick shower before heading home. Unbeknownst to the two friends, Sally Po had already gone over Devon's head.

Dr. Sally Po had examined the wounded Preventor and had recommend that he take a few days off to give his body time to heal and had already sent the young man home to rest. Knowing that Tabris would have to show up sooner or later, Sally waited for the team leader. When it became readily apparent that Devon Tanisius was again ducking his mandatory check up, Sally had stormed out of her office. Stomped across the field to the main building and caught an elevator up to the floor where the offices of Heero Yuy and Wufei Chang were. Since her beloved Wufei was inspecting some of the new Preventor Academy graduates, Sally stormed into Heero's office without bothering to knock. She caught the head of the Preventors Executive Protection and Intelligence Section having a late lunch with his wife.

Heero and Relena Yuy looked at the angry cant to Sally's face and figured something was wrong very wrong. Usually when Sally got mad, her expression didn't change, she just looked intense. This time, they could see that the head of Preventor Medicine was so white hot angry that a vein in her forehead was throbbing like a kettle drum. Sally was scowling like her better half. Heero, as usual, was the first to recover from the interruption. He put the remains of his lunch down on his desk and turned to face Sally full on.

"What's wrong Sally?", asked Heero.

"That bastard did it again, Heero! You've got to do something about his actions! It's my understanding that this time, even he's hurt and needs attention.", seethed Sally.

Heero exchanged a glance with Relena. Neither of them had to ask who Sally was describing. In the entire Preventors organization only two people had the ability to infuriate Sally this badly. One was her future husband who was presently inspecting the newest graduates from the Preventors Academy at a base that was at least a day away from Preventor Headquarters out of necessity.

The other was Preventor Devon 'Tabris' Tanisius.

It was all so easy to tell who Sally was mad at by just listening to her talk. If she talked in semi-cute sentences and making silly noises, then it was Wufei who'd pissed her off. If Sally's speech had a staccato, drill sergeant quality to it, she was pissed off at Devon. This time Sally sounded like a machine gun.

"What did Tabris do this time?", asked Relena.

"He ditched his mandatory after mission check up as usual. According to his spotter, Tabris was wounded as well.", snapped Sally angrily as she paced the length of the office.

Heero sighed, Devon was his best sniper however, he also played very fast and loose with the rules. Rising up from his seat, Heero gave Relena a soft grin before heading out of the office with Sally stalking behind him. This was the last straw, Devon needed to abide by the rules like every other Preventor agent including Heero and Wufei. In the hallway the pilot of the Wing Gundam turned to the doctor.

"Sally, I'll take care of this. Why don't you go on ahead and prepare the exam room. Devon will be along presently."

Sally nodded and turned in the direction of the headquarters care center when they reached a junction. Heero watched her stride off before he continued on his way.

The meeting he'd called had ended a little while before and Devon had gone into the locker room to change out of his fatigues and back into his Preventors uniform. He'd taken a quick shower to wash away the stench of death and all the dirt and mud from this exercise. Each time he'd ran his wash rag over his bruised shoulder, Devon winced and sucked in some air. Where he'd gotten shot was still hurting. Deciding to go ahead and finish up so he could meet Sylvia (who was getting angry at his continued tardiness) Devon climbed out of the shower and toweled off. Wrapping the damp towel around his waist and heading to his locker, Devon thought of ways he could make this up to Sylvia.

Fifteen minutes later, Devon was finishing up with his standard issue tie when he realized that he was no longer alone in the locker room. Figuring that it was another person, Devon didn't pay them any attention. He'd just closed his locker when he heard the voice of his superior.

"You do realize that refusing to go through the mandatory after mission examination is grounds for suspension, don't you? Dr. Po is pissed off that you've avoided her again. Especially after your spotter told her that you took a hit.", stated Heero firmly.

Devon gritted his teeth in frustration. He really didn't want to deal with Yuy at the moment. And he didn't want to be examined by the doctor because he had other more important things to do that sit around in a cold exam room in his skivvies being poked and prodded by Sally or one of her minions.

"Whaddya want Yuy? I'm running behind schedule as it is?", Devon asked while closing his locker.

"I'm here to make sure you get that check-up."

"I don't need it."

"It's mandatory, you know that."

"Yeah so, how many times have you skipped out on the exam."

"My situation is different than yours. There are several classified reasons I've skipped out on the exam.", answered Heero as he casually blocked the way to the locker room door.

Devon noticed what Heero was doing and got irked. He didn't need this. Moving towards the door, he ignored the rest of Heero's words. This pissed Heero off. If there was one thing he hated more than anything it was being ignored while he was trying to be polite. Setting himself so that Devon would have to push past him to leave the locker room, Heero waited for the sniper to approach him. The former pilot of the Wing Zero was also still pissed off from the earlier verbal confrontation the two had had when Tanisius had insulted his skill at trailing somebody.

"Give it a rest Devon, make it easy on yourself and just go through the dammed exam."

"Don't start with me Yuy! I'm not on my own schedule, my plans for the evening were set by someone else and they did not include getting poked and prodded by a know it all doctor who doesn't know shit about me to do her job correctly. No one knows my body and the limits I can push it to better than myself. So for what it's worth, Sally 'The Mad Quack' Po can kick rocks for all I care!"

"You sonuvabitch, you're suspended as of right now. I want your badge and your weapon!", snapped Heero.

"Go fuck yourself, dipshit, I ain't got time for this.", returned Devon as he stood face to face with the other man.

The two men glared at each other until Devon made to push Heero out of the way so he could leave. Heero poked Devon in the chest and again ordered him to hand over his Preventors badge and weapon. When he refused to do so, Heero took a menacing step forward.

"If you do not follow the order I've just given you, I'll replace you as the leader of Sniper Team Delta, kick you out of the sniper program, and yank your sorry ass off of the VFM's protection detail as the sniper liaison. You got that dumbass?"

_**"I'm not gonna hit him! I'm not gonna hit him! I'm not gonna…. Oh fuck if, the rat bastard deserves this!", **thought Devon as he swung at the other man. _

It took only seconds for the jab to connect with (and break) Yuy's nose but for Devon it seemed like hours. Recognizing the effects of time compression, Devon continued with his attack. He knew that with his shoulder banged up as it was, he could not prolong this fight. He didn't want to prolong this fight. Devon just wanted to get out of the locker room and find his way into Sylvia's arms.

As a stunned Yuy looked at him in amazement, Devon was already Pistoning his other fist out to connect with Yuy's throat. Watching his fist fly straight and true, Devon wasn't surprised when Heero reflexively blocked it and countered with a punch of his own. Heero's right ran straight into the muscles of Devon's stomach and knocked him back for a second. Taking advantage of his opponents stumble, Heero swung his other arm in an arc to try and pop Devon in the mouth. It was blocked and Heero felt his head rocked back as Devon's third punch in under a minute smashed into his lips and loosened some teeth. Deciding to slow things down a bit, Heero backed off.

The two men warily circled each other searching for an opening. More accustomed to being on the offensive than the defensive, Heero launched an attack of his own and hoped to end the fight then and there. Unfortunately he misjudged Devon's evasive speed and his punch landed off target. Instead of landing on the point of Devon's chin-a knockout punch if there ever was one-it missed when Devon moved to his right and landed right on Devon's bruised shoulder. For a moment Heero thought he'd stopped the fight with that punch since Devon retreated out of range and reached his right hand up and cradled his now weakened shoulder. Seeing the limb dangling uselessly at Devon's side, Heero felt a little bit overconfident and moved in to end it all.

Devon felt pain, loads of pain. His shoulder was already hurting from the bullet impact and now his shit for brains immediate superior had just punched him full force in the exact same spot. Taking the pain he was feeling, nurturing it, and using it; Devon saw red and retaliated. He launched a furious attack on the man in front of him using every bit of his body he'd been trained to use. In a matter of minutes several kicks and punches had been thrown. Most had been blocked but some had gotten through to the Japanese man. Soon, in addition to his broken and bleeding nose, Heero had a nearly swollen shut left eye, several forehead lacerations that leaked blood into his right eye obscuring his vision, a set of ribs that felt as if somebody had used a lead pipe on his chest, and sundry other smaller inconsequential bruises scattered all over his torso. Like the rest of the gundam pilots, Heero could take a lot of physical punishment and it showed. He was able to repay many of those punches and kicks with interests and since he wasn't hurting, Yuy's kicks and punches inflicted more pain on Devon. But for some odd reason, Devon was absorbing the stuff thrown his way and was returning it back.

At the home of Commander Anne Une, a phone rang. Une was in her kitchen cooking a light dinner and cursed when the call interrupted her meticulous activities. Setting down the butcher knife she'd been expertly wielding, Une wiped her hands on her apron and stomped over to answer the phone.

"I take a day off and actually decide to cook myself for one of the few times in my life and the phone rings. Of course it just has to ring right when I'm about to finish cooking instead of when I started and actually felt like answering it. Dammit this better be good! I rarely get to cook nowadays!", snapped Une to herself.

Snatching the handset off its base and putting it to her ear, Une snarls into the mouthpiece.

"Une and this better be damn good!"

The words she heard over the phone line make the light skinned woman go deathly pale. When the person on the other end finished, Une told her she'd be right there and slammed the phone down. Ripping her apron off and leaving it where it fell, the head of Preventors turned her stove down to low heat then, changing her mind, shut it completely off. Running out of the kitchen for the garage, she grabbed a set of keys from the key hanger by the door and sprinted for the first vehicle in line. Pressing the button that remotely unlocked the car and starting its engine, Une wrenched the door open, drops into the drivers' seat, inserts her key in the ignition, then shifts the vehicle into reverse and backed out of the garage. Spinning the wheel and skidding the car sideways in her expansive driveway, Une shifted into drive and gunned the engine. Ignoring the snowy roads, Une stomped on the gas and sped off in the direction of Preventors Headquarters. In her mind, she was frantic; two of her best people were locked in what seemed to be some serious hand to hand combat.

_**"Dammit Yuy! Dammit Tanisius! What the fuck's going on between you two? Ever since that argument a few months ago, the two of you haven't said one civil word to each other. Hell, I don't think you've even spoke with each other since then. Even at Ms. Relena's Halloween party the two of you avoided each other like the plague! What is it that makes you two nearly mortal enemies?", **thought Une worriedly. _

Back at the headquarters, the news that Yuy and Tanisius were fighting had flashed around the building at supersonic speeds. Both Relena and Sylvia had gotten word of the battle just seconds apart and both women rushed to the scene to try and stop it. When they got there, the two women were appalled at the tableau in front of them.

There was blood everywhere. Lockers had been smashed, windows broken, and doors shattered so badly that they would have to be completely replaced. In the middle of this carnage Heero Yuy and Devon Tanisius stood locked in frenzied combat oblivious to the chaos they'd caused and the gathered observers. A shocked and scared Relena took a step in the direction of her battered husband but was held back when a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Don't Relena! Those two are so focused on each other that if you so much as stepped in to break it up you would become a part of this battle. Whatever it is that caused those two to snap is nothing good.", Miliardo Peacecraft stated as he grabbed his sister's arm.

Zechs had been slumming around headquarters doing nothing and getting in everybody's way because his wife had gotten annoyed at him, tossed him out of the palace, and ordered him to burn off some of his excess energy. He'd been roaming all over the building when he got word of the fight. Correctly guessing that his sister was going to make her way there with all due haste, he ran to the annex and entered the locker room just in time to see the battle leave the locker room and enter the sniper gym. Zechs was there when Relena and Sylvia arrived from different directions.

In the midst of his fight with Yuy, Devon heard a familiar voice and spotted a familiar flash of platinum blonde hair.

_**"Lightning Count, I got you now!",** thought Devon as he avoided Heero's next few punches. _

Heero was astounded, even after the beating he had taken, Devon Tanisius was still moving almost as quick as he had been moving when the fight had started. He slipped one punch and went to return it when he saw that Devon had shifted his attention to his tall blonde-haired brother-in-law. Heero saw a look of extreme glee flash through Devon's eyes and shivered uncontrollably.

_**"What the hell is going on here? What does Devon have against the prince?", **wondered Heero as he chased after the sniper. _

Devon knew he was rapidly running out of energy. The fight with Heero had taken a lot out of him and he maybe had one possibly two spurts of emergency energy left before he collapsed in exhaustion and pain. Deciding to forget about his present opponent, Devon ran straight at Zechs Marquise who realized at the very last moment that he was presently Devon's next target.

Zechs saw the young sniper running in his direction and for a split second was paralyzed with indecision. That dammed sniper moved so fast, it was amazing that even after his battle with Yuy he still had energy to come after a fresh opponent. Standing six foot two and weighing in at around two hundred and twenty-five pounds of wiry muscle, Zechs spread his legs and readied himself to take the sudden weight of the taller and slightly heavier man. When Devon's left hand flashed towards his face, Zechs turned his head to avoid the punch. Catching a flash of his ash platinum blonde hair in his peripheral vision as his braid whipped forward, the man formerly known as the Lightning Count demonstrated that the nickname wasn't just flash, it was deserved. Unfortunately, Zechs hadn't taken into account the surefootedness and catlike reflexes of the assassin known as the panther.

True to his namesake, Devon reacted without thought and with a feline grace. He'd thrown the punch knowing that there weren't many people quicker than Miliardo Peacecraft. One of those faster than the prince was the dark haired man Devon had just gone toe to toe with. But like a cat, Devon hadn't been aiming at the prince's face out of habit; he'd had a plan of attack from the second he attacked. Devon had seen Miliardo's three and a half foot length of braid and had instantly planned his attack around it.

As Miliardo's braid flashed forward as a distraction that had worked to his advantage before, Devon opened his fist and made a grab for his target. When he felt the hair connect with is palm, Devon's hand instantly clamped shut and he stopped his headlong charge. Taken off guard, Miliardo reacted too late and felt himself yanked off balance. As he tried to regain the advantage, something slammed against the side of his face with a force not to be believed and Miliardo Peacecraft, last prince of the Sanq Kingdom blinked his eyes once before his body shut down. The last thing Zechs saw before he blacked out entirely was the completely satisfied look on Tanisius' face. His last feeling was the cold hardwood floor of the gym hitting his head.

Just three steps behind Devon, Heero stopped dead in his tracks. The entire gym went quiet as they realized the implications of what had just happened: A bruised and battered Preventor Devon 'Tabris' Tanisius suffering from a hit by a .338 rifle bullet had just floored Prince Miliardo Peacecraft with one punch. What made it more stunning was that before knocking out the prince-who had just entered the room-Devon, had been brawling with Heero 'The Prefect Soldier' Yuy.

Standing behind Relena, Sylvia watched as her superior raised her hand to her mouth as her brother collapsed to the floor. Inwardly smirking at the reaction of the foreign minister's husband, Sylvia clamped a vise on her emotions as she stared at the bruised and bloodied body of her lover. Looking into the eyes that usually held a gaze of restrained love for her and seeing no emotion whatsoever, Sylvia shivered. This was a side of Devon she hadn't known existed and didn't want to know about. Yet, in her heart, the love for Devon that she had blossomed into something even more beautiful that what it had been. Sylvia wanted to be the person that permanently sealed off that violent side of the man she loved. She wanted to be the one on whose breast a weary Devon could rest his head on to chase away his nightmares. Sylvia took a step in Devon's direction with her hand raised when Relena screamed shrilly.

_"You sonuvabitch, I'm gonna kill you!!"_

Before she knew it, Sylvia had grabbed Relena's raised fist and pulled. Spinning the other woman around, Sylvia hauled off and slapped her superior across the face with every ounce of strength she could muster. A gobbet of spit flew from Relena's mouth as her head violently flew sideways.

"Get a hold of yourself Ms. Relena! Go see to your brother and husband! Don't react this way!", shouted Sylvia as her hand backhanded Relena across the mouth again to get her attention.

Relena was jerked back to reality and her eyes looked at the scene in a new light. Before she could say anything, Lady Anne Une entered the room. After speeding through the city to arrive at headquarters within minutes of receiving the original call, Une had slid her car to a stop in front of the sniper annex and jumped out before running into the building. Forcing her way through the crush of bodies (using her elbows, feet, and fists liberally), Une entered the gym at the very moment Sylvia slapped Relena for the second time.

_"What the fuck is the meaning of this shit, Yuy?", _Une roared.

The room went quiet instantly. Even the murmurings of those others present stopped as the creator and head of the Preventors vented her rage. Nobody wanted to utter a peep while Commander Une demanded an explanation. Une mentally sighed as she studied the tableau before her. Prince Miliardo Peacecraft was stretched out on the floor unconscious with Devon Tanisius stood over him with a subtle smirk of self-satisfaction scattered across his features. Behind the sniper with his fists clenched was Colonel Heero Yuy, head of the Preventors Executive Protection and Intelligence Section. Standing a few feet away were both the Earth Sphere United Nations Foreign Minister and Vice Foreign Minister, the former having a pair of matching hand prints on each side of her face. Narrowing her eyes further, Une surmised that the handprints were made courtesy of Vice Foreign Minister Noventa. Groaning in exasperation, the tall and lithe thirty-one year old Preventors Head turned to one of the gathered snipers by the door and pointed to him.

"You, take two people and grab a stretcher so we can get his highness to the infirmary. I want Doctor Po to give him a quick check up to see if his head is really as hard as his wife says.", stated Une.

"Yes ma'am. We'll get it done right away."

"You, take Foreign Minister Yuy to the infirmary so she can check on his highness. While you're at it, have someone call the palace and explain to the princess that her husband has done gotten himself knocked out. The rest of you clean up this room. Repair or replace anything that's broken including windows, lockers, and the like. If it can't be fixed or replaced today, fill out the requisite forms and have them turned in before you leave for the evening. Maintenance will have its work cut out for them at the beginning of the week. Vice Foreign Minister Noventa you can return to your office, in fact everyone else return to your duties. Yuy, Tanisius my office now! Oh and one more thing, will somebody call Chang and tell him to get his butt back here ASAP?"

The two combatants acknowledged the order and followed the older woman as she stormed out of the gymnasium. Minutes later the trio entered Une's office and Une slammed the door behind them. Storming over to her desk chair, she tossed her keys onto the credenza behind her desk and dropped wearily into her fitted leather executive chair. Running her hands over her face for a moment before taking off her glasses and pinching the bridge of her nose she glanced at her two subordinates.

"Alright what happened?"

Neither man volunteered to speak. Heero shifted his position in the chair he had appropriated while Tanisius grunted from his position leaning against a wall as far away from his former opponent as he could be without leaving the office. Une frowned; it seemed as if they were going to be stubborn assholes about this matter. It was alright, Une had had lots of practice in breaking stubborn people. It was one of her specialties.

"If neither of you are going to talk I'll suspend both of you for several months without pay. If I'm forced to do that, Devon it would effectively end your position as the leader of your sniper team. If you're no longer a team leader I'll reassign you to a position you're more qualified for. For you Yuy, a suspension of this length would have you up in front of a review board where it would be decided if you were mentally fit enough to continue to lead the Preventor Executive Protection and Intelligence Section. If the board rules against you, which I believe they will, you'll find your clearance revoked and you may possibly be fired. You know what that would mean don't you?"

Une watched as the former pilot of Wing Zero went a little bit pale. If he lost his security clearance and was fired, he couldn't protect his wife anymore and Relena would be a potential target for those who wanted to usurp and overthrow the present government. Shifting her intense gaze to the sniper leaning against the wall, Une saw that he'd gone a little bit pale as well at what his punishment could possibly be but Tanisius had regained his calm and was presently buffing his nails on the sleeve of his uniform tunic. For some odd reason Tanisius' studied indifference didn't phase her as much as she thought it might. Sure Une was pissed at her two agents but she wasn't as pissed off as she thought she should be. Hearing Yuy clear his throat, Une returned her gaze to him waiting to hear his explanation.

Heero was nervous. He didn't want the commander getting caught up in what he considered an Executive Protection matter but he knew that it was her right as the head of Preventors to involve herself in the interactions of anyone in any department under her command. He still hated it though.

"The scuffle between Agent Tanisius and myself was the result of a minor disagreement about standing operating procedures for agents and teams injured in the field upon their return to headquarters. As per S.O.P. every agent is supposed to report to Dr. Po for a mandatory checkup after a field mission. Agent Tanisius has on occasion demonstrated a cavalier attitude towards this regulation. On several occasions, Tanisius has either completely avoided the examination or bullied less experienced doctors, nurses, and interns in allowing him to leave before their examination has been completed. To curb these actions, I asked Dr. Po to take over these examinations in the agents' case. In the six months she has been doing these checkups, agent Tanisius has submitted to her ministrations once. Every other time he has returned from a mission, he has skipped Dr. Po's examination.", started Heero.

"I see, do continue."

"Today, Agent Tanisius again skipped his examination. Dr. Po was infuriated and reported to me his non-appearance. Even after his teammate informed the doctor that Agent Tanisius had been shot during special assignment, Tabris still did not report to the doctor for his mandatory examination. Upon hearing the doctor's complaints, I took it among myself to bring the agent in for his check up regardless of his protests. As you can see, Agent Tanisius did not agree and our confrontation escalated from a verbal one to a physical one. Sometime during that altercation, the agent in question assaulted his highness Miliardo Peacecraft."

Une was nodding in agreement as she listened to Yuy's explanation. When he finished she turned to the sniper leaning against the wall so she could hear his side of the story. To her consternation, Devon was paying more attention to the message he'd received on his communicator than to Yuy's accusation. This angered the commander and any leniency she was going to allow after hearing his explanation went out the window.

"Agent Tanisius is there anything you would like to say to rebut the colonel's accusation?", asked Une in a dangerously low voice.

Devon looked up from his perusal of the message a bit confused.

"Hmm, what were you saying, commander? I missed it. Did the colonel accuse me of something?", returned Devon.

Une's eyes went wide and Yuy snapped.

"You sonuvabitch!!!", started Heero only to be cut off when Une's voice cracked.

_"Sit Down Now Colonel Yu! I Will Not Tolerate Nor Allow Any Outbursts of that Kind from You!"_

Heero went silent and abruptly returned to his seat. Une pressed her fingers to the sides of her temple to rub away the headache that was starting to come into existence. When she'd calmed down enough to issue orders to her subordinates without yelling, Une opened her eyes and pinned each of the transgressors with a glare.

"First off, Agent Tanisius immediately after you leave this office you are to report to Dr. Po for your mandatory after mission examination. I want that cut on your forehead and your shoulder looked at. Is that clear?"

Devon started to protest but cut it short when Une's eyes flashed.

"I said is that clear?", repeated the commander.

"Yeah, whatever, its clear.", snapped Devon.

Une lifted a delicate eyebrow in response to his borderline insubordinate answer. That wasn't the answer she was looking for since her words were an order instead of a suggestion. The stubborn cast to Devon's face told her that his answer was all she was going to get and she'd best be happy with it. Mentally sighing to herself, Une turned her attention to her other wayward agent. Yuy had a subtle smirk on his face as he relished the fact that the sniper was being ordered to follow the regulations. The smirk fell when Une rounded on him.

"Colonel Yuy, after we're finished here, I want your written report on this incident along with the repair work estimates on my desk in 2 hours. I also want you to draft a report on how you could have handled this a bit better than you did. It doesn't matter that Preventor Tabris attacked first. You should have known better than to continue the brawl. Does either of you blockheads know what this would have looked like if the press had gotten wind of this? It would not have been good for Preventors or for the protection of either the foreign minister or the vice foreign minister.", retorted Une.

"But, but, but!", protested Heero only to be silenced by Une's glare.

"In addition once you both leave here today, you are to consider yourselves suspended for a period of two weeks. During that suspension, I don't want to see neither hide nor hair of either of you showing either in this building or in the sniper annex. Nor do I want to hear of any more 'incidents' between the two of you away from Headquarters. If I do, you both will be fired and I will make damn bloody sure the two of you are prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

Une watched as both men flinched at her steely words. She guessed that if they were fired and prosecuted, it would be easy for her to find a way to get a guilty finding. In Heero's case, his being prosecuted would reflect badly on Relena as Foreign Minister and his wife. And that was something he couldn't allow to happen. Ruefully Heero nodded and felt a measure of satisfaction as he caught the sniper's nod out of the corner of his eye.

Seeing that her two subordinates were suitably cowed, Une reverted to her normal persona. Something was going on between these two and she meant to find out what it was. Ever since their earlier locker room disagreement Heero and Devon hadn't said two nice words to each other. The pair had been avoiding each other like the plague and it was starting to affect some of the professional relations between Devon's Sniper Team Delta and other members of Yuy's Executive Protection Division.

**_AN: -refer to chapter three for more information on the disagreement between Heero and Devon._**

_**"I wonder why there is so much bad blood between these two. They've never been particularly close but in the past couple of months their professional relationship has gone from not good to bad to worse. This fight today must've been a culmination of there seeming hatred for each other. Something's not right here and I don't know what it is.", **thought Une as she watched as the two men prepared to leave her office. _

Deciding to try and find a way to get to the bottom of this mutual disrespect, Une informed the pair that when they returned to active duty after their suspensions, they were ordered to report to the Preventor therapist. To her eyes, she saw that Yuy took the news fairly well, turning her attention to the sniper, Une was shocked to see that Devon's expression had gone from one of simple indifference to what she took to be either fear or anger.

_**"So Devon Tanisius has something to hide, something that a visit to a therapist could possibly get him to inadvertently reveal. I wonder what it could be. I wouldn't be surprised if he found a way to ditch that appointment as well. I'll have to talk to Sally about it.", **continued Une's thoughts. _

Hiding her shock, Une rotated her chair to face the window behind her desk and listened as the two men left. She could tell who was whom by the footsteps that echoed from the hallway. Reaching her hand to her phone, Une made a call. She had a suspicion that Tanisius was going to find a way to disobey her orders to report immediately to Sally Po for his examination. Wanting to nip that possibility in the bud, she made a call.

"Preventor Internal Security, this is Commander Une. Two agents have just left my office. Agent Yuy is supposed to be heading to his office to write a report for me about the recent incident. Make sure all reports about repair and replacement of Preventor property damaged or destroyed in the locker room incident are forwarded to him."

"Yes ma'am. What about the second agent?"

"Agent Tanisius is supposed to report to Dr, Sally Po in the medical wing for his mandatory after mission examination. However I have a feeling that he's going to ditch that examination. I want you to keep close tabs on Tanisius and if he even looks as if he's gonna skip that exam, I need you to discreetly remind him of my orders. Put your best men on it but tell them to be careful. Tanisius is one of our best snipers and he knows how to make himself disappear with us being none the wiser. I want him covered so that he has no chance to vanish on you."

"Yes ma'am. The honor of Internal Security is at stake here. We'll do our best."

"You are authorized to use any force necessary with the exception of deadly force to make sure Agent Tanisius reports to Dr. Po."

There was a stunned silence on the line. The major in charge of internal security looked at his handset as if it was a poisonous snake that had bitten him. Commander Anne Une, the head of Preventors had just given his department authorization to go after a Preventor. He looked around the small nondescript office and saw the worried looks on the faces of his people on duty.

Some were looking worried, some were confused. One of his people pulled his Taser out of his holster and checked it over. Choking back the vile taste in his mouth, the major answered the commander the only way he knew how.

"Aye aye ma'am. I understand we are authorized to use all necessary force, with the exception of deadly force, to make sure that Agent Tanisius reports to Dr. Po for his examination."

"Yes. That is all.",

Une hung up and held her head in her hands. This was the first time she'd ever had to issue those words. She hoped to never have to issue them again. Next to the sniper division, Preventor Internal Security was the most secret of all the various Preventor departments. It was so secret that less than half of her agents even suspected there was an internal security department. Unfortunately both the Executive Protection Division and the Sniper Division knew about them.

"This is not going to be good.", muttered Une to herself before she rose from her seat and picked up her keys.

Making a sudden decision, Une stabbed the button for her secretary.

"Yes commander?", answered the agent on duty.

"Get in touch with Preventors Barton, Une, and Hilde Maxwell. Have them report to my residence."

"If they ask should I give them a reason for the summons?"

"Tell them I need them to research a certain subject. Inform them that all details will be given when they arrive at my residence."

"Yes ma'am. We're contacting those agents now."

Une sighed and shut off the intercom. Her heart gave a little flip as she realized that her former lover was going to be arriving at the place where they'd shared many intimate memories. Une was beginning to slip into a daydream when she remembered that Trowa was no longer sleeping with her and was instead sharing an apartment on L-3 with her cousin. If rumors she'd been hearing were true, there was reason to believe that a wedding between her cousin Midii and her former lover Trowa would be taking place soon. Putting it out of her mind for the time being, Une left her office after locking her door and made her way down to the parking garage.

While Une was catching an elevator down to her car, Devon was presently on the phone with his brother Morgan. During the lecture in Une's office, Morgan had sent him a message stating that their parents were covertly coming to Earth to go on a skiing trip at a resort in America. They were also dropping in to check on how Adrienne was handling the business and how Morgan was doing at St. Gabriel's.

"When are they due in little brother?", asked Devon as he stood in a deserted stairway.

"Don't know. Adrienne doesn't even know that they're coming. Mom sent me a brief email while I was taking my science final. I just now got it as I returned to my room.", answered Morgan.

Devon could hear an echo over the phone and guessed that Morgan was somewhere on the grounds where he could almost talk freely. He couldn't figure out where it was but he didn't worry. He didn't know the layout of the Institute grounds that well. Devon did know that Leopold and Brianna Tanisius had arranged for Morgan to have a private room although it did set them back an extra thousand dollars in tuition. He was about to say more when Morgan hissed into his mouthpiece.

"Ahh shit, Aziza Barkari is here!! Dammit, she's still trying to set me up with Duchess Khushrenada. I've told her several times that I'm not interested in her friend Marimaia in that kind of way. Marimaia Khushrenada is a study partner who shares a couple of classes with me and that's it. Crap, I bet Barkari is going to ask me to escort her to the end of semester bash this coming weekend. Everyone who is anyone knows that Aziza Barkari is all but married to her betrothed. I bet that if I agree, Barkari will mysteriously come down with a 'sickness' and will push the duchess in to take her place. If I hadn't fallen for that trick several times before back home, I would be tempted to agree to be her escort. However they have to learn that they can't pull the silk over my eyes.", grumbled Morgan.

As he listened to his brother rant, an idea came to Devon. He ran down the pros and cons of the idea before making a decision.

_**"Besides, they've got to meet their aunt, uncles, and grandparents sometime if I want them to be accepted as part of the family. Why not get an early start on the introductions.", **thought Devon as he waited for Morgan to finish his rant. _

When Morgan finally wound down, Devon brought up his idea.

"Hey Morgan, do you know the Wildstar twins?"

"Yeah, I do. Hell who doesn't know about them. Millennia and Silesia: the twins who aren't actual twins. Why?"

"What would you say if I helped you out of your dilemma? And all it would cost you is a slight case of embarrassment.", asked Devon.

Morgan listened warily to his brother's suggestion. It didn't seem half bad and it would get him out of agreeing to be Barkari's date only to be stood up at the last minute and be forced to go with the duchess. Deciding to just flow with it, he agreed to Devon's suggestions.

"Devon, I just have a few questions to ask you, why the Wildstar Twins and how sure are you that they'll go for it?", asked Morgan.

"Oh don't worry. I know the Wildstar Twins pretty well. I know they will go for it because they're not going to have any choice.", answered Devon slyly.

Devon felt his phone vibrate and realized that somebody was trying to call him. Checking the caller ID, he saw who it was and almost groaned aloud.

"Hey Morgan, I gotta go. Got another call and it's very important. Plus I have somewhere I'm supposed to be. I'll talk to the Wildstar Twins later and give you their answer when I drop by the den. See ya later.", stated Devon as he finished his call.

Taking a deep breath, Devon reactivated his phone and answered the waiting call. Since he and Morgan had been speaking in their native language, Devon doubted that anyone could've understood them at all but to be on the safe side, he exited the stairwell and continued slowly towards the waiting clutches of Dr. Sally Po.

Back in the hallway proper, Devon put his phone up to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Where in the bloody hell are you, Devon? You were supposed to be here an hour ago.", came the deceptively calm voice of his lover.

Devon winced; he knew that Sylvia was really pissed if she was speaking to him this calmly. He tried to explain.

"Listen, it's not my fault. Her imperial commanderness called both of us into her office for a little chit chat. Une suspended the both of us after ordering me to go see the mad quack and Yuy to write a report on the whole incident. I bet anything that she'll want a report from me by the time my suspension is up. Unfortunately, instead of being with you, I gotta see Mad Quack Po for this dammed mandatory exam and I can't ditch it because I believe that she sicced the nosy bastards from Preventor Internal Security on me as well as Yuy. And knowing the doctor like I do, she's going to gloat over her triumph and try to keep me in her hands for an extended amount of time.", muttered Devon.

In her office, Sylvia fumed again. Une and Po were seriously fucking up her alone time with her beloved. With that bastard Yuy's help, they'd wasted six gawddammed hours where she could have been treating Devon with her own special brand of help. Closing her eyes and pinching her nose in an unconscious imitation of the man on the other end of the phone, Sylvia tried to think of a way to help Devon get out of this predicament.

_**"Wait a minute, isn't Ms. Relena still here? Yeah, of course she is! She's going to be down in the infirmary checking on her brother the prince until Princess Noin gets here from the palace. Once Relena is sure Miliardo's alright and Noin's with him, the Foreign Minister is going to go to her husband's side and keep him company as he writes his report. I bet Relena's going to be a bit worried about Heero's bruises as well as her brothers' injuries. She's going to be so concerned that if I shove some papers under her nose and tell her that they need her signature, Relena is just going to give them a cursory glance before scribbling her name on them and continuing on to her husband. Now if one of those papers she signs is a waiver allowing one inured sniper to escape the doctor and be released into my custody, then my evening can go along as planned! OH yeah, I can do this! And with Devon's suspension and Une's ordering him to not even show his face around here for a week, I can pull one over on Une, Relena, and Doc Po.", ** thought Sylvia. _

Returning her attention to the phone, she saw that Devon was looking at her with a questioning look on his face. Sylvia loved it when Devon expressed questions with his facial expressions. When he did, the sniper looked like the cute little boy she thought he had been.

"I got an idea Devon to get you out of this exam, but you're going to owe me big time."

"I know. I'll do anything to stay outta the doctor's clutches!", pleaded Devon.

"Anything? I like your exuberance because what I plan for your payment will require a lot of exuberance on your part.", said Sylvia.

Devon just nodded and Sylvia explained her idea. The more she explained the more he liked it and said so.

"We're gonna have to be quick. By now Noin will probably be arriving shortly. Figure ten minutes for Relena to explain what happened to Noin's husband, around five or so minutes for Noin to cuss Zechs out for being stupid enough to get caught in the fight add two minutes to that for Zechs' to plead his innocence which Noin of course isn't going to believe. Factor in another fifteen minutes of catching up between Noin and Relena while Zechs listens and I'll have about twenty minutes to get the message written and printed up on Foreign Ministry stationary before sliding it into the middle of some other papers that I have that need her signature. That'll give me just about twelve minutes to get to Relena, get her to sign the papers, get the important sheet to the orderly on duty in the infirmary to spring you and get us both off base before both Relena and the doctor get wise to my sleight of hand. It'll be a piece of cake!", mused Sylvia while rubbing her hands together in glee.

Devon pointed out the one miniscule flaw in Sylvia's plan.

"We'll have less than twelve minutes if the division I suspect is watching me to get outta here. Those Internal Security assholes aren't completely stupid. If they tumble to everything before we make our escape we'll be screwed."

"Oh let me deal with them. They answer directly to the commander but have to follow orders given to them by the foreign ministry right?"

"Yeah, I guess so. How do you know about Internal Security?", asked Devon.

"One day a few months ago, I just happened to inadvertently see a note from Ms. Relena complaining to the E.S.U.N President about Preventor Internal Security. A working lunch and a few subtle questions later and I had some new information that I could keep locked away for a time it's needed. You just need to be in the infirmary at the correct time. Now get going.", Sylvia snapped fondly while cutting the connection.

Devon just looked at the blank screen of his phone and shrugged. As long as the black car was where it needed to be, he wasn't worried. Continuing his slow stroll towards the medical wing, Devon hoped that Sylvia's plan would work.

Ten minutes later, Sylvia was rushing down the hallway trying to catch up with her superior. It had taken the VFM five extra minutes to get everything situated because there hadn't any of the special foreign ministries stationary at hand. Sylvia had had to go over to the office of another politician and con his secretary in to letting her have a stack. Returning to her office, Sylvia had started to pen her note when she noticed that the letterhead wasn't right. Luckily, her weekend duty secretary had the VFM letterhead template programmed into his computer and they were able to scan a sheet from the politician, make the necessary changes, and print the new document up on the blank paper specially used for the Earth Sphere United Nation Foreign Ministry.

Now, Sylvia jogged to catch up to Relena who was just turning the corner ahead of her on her way to Heero's office.

"Relena! Hey Ms. Relena wait up a minute!", Sylvia called out.

The blonde haired foreign minister halted at the hallway intersection and turned to see how was calling out to her. Seeing her vice running up with an armful of documents, Relena sighed in exasperation. More documents to sign to help keep the bureaucracy of the E.S.U.N. running like a well oiled machine.

"What is it that needs my signature now?", griped Relena as she waited for Sylvia to catch up.

Relena was tired. Ever since witnessing Tanisius knock out her older brother with one punch after brawling with her husband to a standstill, she just wanted to go home. Heero was okay but his bruises and cuts cried out for her special attentions. On top of that, her husband was suspended from work for a week. Relena knew how much that was going to irritate Heero. He hated to not be doing anything. Like Relena herself, inactivity and Heero didn't go well.

_**"At least he'll have his laptop and can continue with the personal project he's working on. That'll keep him out of my hair for a short time.", **thought Relena as Sylvia came jogging up._

After coming to a stop, Sylvia bent down to catch her breath. Even with her new found stamina stemming from Devon's 'ministrations', Sylvia still got a bit winded when chasing someone. When she'd regained enough of her breath to make speaking easier, she straightened up and looked at her predecessor.

"Relena, I'm glad I caught up with you. I have some documents here that need your signature. I know you're in a rush and all but I would appreciate it if you could sign them so I can have them properly filed.", said Sylvia with what she hoped was a sense of innocence.

"I don't know Sylvia. I'm kind of in a slight hurry here. Can you drop them off on my desk so I can go over them at my leisure during the week?", asked Relena as she stepped out of her right shoe and rubbed her foot with her hand.

"I wish I could, Ms. Relena but I need these signed as soon as possible. They were supposed to be taken care of earlier today but due toe the incident in the sniper annex, I didn't get them till ten minutes ago. I was working on that treaty you wanted me to make acceptable changes to when I got these documents with the rush note on top. I know you're tired from all the action earlier but if you could sign these I can get them taken care of and we won't have to deal with them later. Oh yeah, I apologize for my actions earlier."

Relena gave her deputy a rueful smile as she rubbed her cheek where Sylvia's first slap had landed. The pair of slaps had been effective in bringing her back around to reality. When she'd told Noin about what Sylvia had done, her sister-in-law had chuckled and said that Relena had deserved them.

"Don't worry about those actions, Sylvia. They brought me back around to what was going on. The princess, in her ever present wisdom, said that you did the right thing. I'll let them slide this time because they were needed. If you ever slap me again like that be prepared for the consequences.", replied Relena gently as she accepted the sheath of documents from Sylvia.

"I understand Ms. Relena. Let us hope that there never is another incident like that."

Relena nodded as she reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out her pen. Scanning the first sheet quickly to hit the high points, the foreign minister signed her name in the space provided. Feeling an oncoming headache and still worrying about Heero, Relena scanned the next few documents and signed where it was indicated. When she'd finished scanning and signing the last document, Relena lifted her head up and grinned.

"Now that those documents have been taken care of everything should be fine.", said Relena as she capped her pen and returned it to her pants pocket.

"Yes Ms. Relena looks like everything is in order. Now I can get these documents placed in their respective files. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Ms. Relena.", replied Sylvia as she shuffled the documents before returning them to the folder she carried.

"I plan on it Sylvia. I plan on it. Right now I hafta deal with my husband and his injuries. See you next week."

Sylvia nodded her reply and watched as her contemporary continued on her way to her husband's office. When Relena had disappeared from sight, only then did Sylvia give rise to the sigh of relief she'd been holding. Turning on her heel, Sylvia opened the folder enough so she could glance down at the first document therein.

"Now then, time to head for the medical wing to get my beloved sprung before Dr. Sally gets there. Once he's sprung then he's mine for the entire week.", murmured Sylvia to herself.

Over in the medical wing, Devon sat in the waiting room designated for agents returning from field assignments. He'd been there before after other assignments and had always been able to escape before being examined. Casually looking around the room Devon saw that Une was taking no chances with his escaping Sally's hands this time. There were no less than six of Internal Security's undercover agents situated around the room.

_**"And I surmise that there are at least two more stationed behind the door to the exam area.", **thought Devon as he returned his attention to the magazine in his hands. _

Devon's lacerated head had started to bleed again and his shoulder was hurting like hell. He was used to a lot of pain but this was beginning to be a bit ridiculous. Wondering if Sylvia had pulled off her part in the plan, he continued to wait patiently. Five minutes of waiting later, Devon jumped as his phone vibrated with an incoming call. Picking it up and checking the screen (much to the interest of the two IS agents sitting in the row behind him), Devon saw that he had a text message and opened it up. The message relaxed him immensely and he deleted the message and closed the phone. Just as he returned the phone to its holster, the duty orderly called his name. Devon rose to his feet and headed towards the door. Once he was through the door and it had closed, the orderly hurried Devon in the direction of an exam room while commenting about his rapidity.

"Dr. Po has been waiting for you for quite a while and she had an exam room set up especially for you. She's busy at the moment but will be with you very shortly. If you'll follow me, please.", said the orderly with a smug tone to his voice that had Devon itching to beat the hell outta the guy.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just get me there and spare the commentary. You're making me effen sick with your sorry comedy routine.", snapped Devon.

Insulted, the orderly tried to show the disrespectful prig just who had the power when a voice rang out from ahead of them.

"Orderly, this man has been released into my care by order of Foreign Minister Yuy. Now if you don't mind, kindly take your hands off of him before I report you to your superior Dr. Po.", came the arched voice of Sylvia Noventa.

Devon hastily smothered the burgeoning chuckle that threatened to break out of his throat when his savior stepped around the corner. He knew that the orderly recognized the voice of the vice foreign minister and was caught off guard.

"But Vice Foreign Minister Noventa, Agent Tanisius has been ordered to report to the doctor by the commander. According to my orders, this Preventor is not allowed to leave this building until cleared by Dr. Po. No exceptions allowed."

"Orderly, Preventors serve at the behest of the Foreign Ministry of the E.S.U.N., right? And at the moment Foreign Minister Yuy is the present head of the Foreign Ministry, right? Now wouldn't that mean that any orders coming from Commander Une can be countermanded by Foreign Minister Yuy?"

"Yes Vice Foreign Minister Noventa, but I would have to have at least a note with the foreign minister's signature to allow this and I would have to clear it with the doctor, the foreign minister, and the commander before I could release this agent into your custody."

"I see. Well it just so happens that I have a signed message from the foreign minister herself stating that Preventor Tabris is to be released into my custody in lieu of an exam by the doctor. Of course you could always call either Commander Une or Foreign Minister Yuy to confirm the existence of this release but I believe that it would be a waste of time."

The orderly looked a bit caught out so Sylvia passed the document ordering the release of Devon into her custody while at the same time avoiding eye contact with the sniper in order to keep her composure. She didn't want to break out into the laughter she could feel straining to be released. The orderly read the document and lifted his head to show both Devon and Sylvia a confused expression.

"Baroness Noventa, I see that this has indeed been signed by the foreign minister however I do not understand why the agent should be released to your custody."

Devon groaned and surreptitiously tried to look at his watch. Each minute they spent hassling with this idiot of an orderly, was one minute that could see the return of the doctor and this whole thing could fall by the wayside. He was about to speak when Sylvia snapped.

"Listen genius. This man is a major part of my executive protection detail. There are things I need to discuss with him about his duties that are far above your level of clearance. Now you can either let him go in my custody as specified by the foreign minister's release and we let this drop OR you can keep stalling and I go have a talk with Colonels Yuy and Chang of the EP Division along with your supervisor. If I have to do that, I promise you won't like the result. Now do you want to do this the easy way and let me take the agent in question into my custody or do you want to do this the hard way?"

Seeing no way out and deciding to cover his ass, the orderly nodded at Sylvia and accepted the paperwork he was given. Returning to his desk to fill out the release form, he stopped by the copier and copied the signed letter. Sylvia and Devon looked on with hidden smiles that were quickly covered over with expressions correctly suited for the occasion as the orderly returned.

"Alright Vice Foreign Minister Noventa, I just need your signature here and Preventor Tanisius becomes your problem. I wash my hands of this troublemaker.", stated the orderly as he handed Sylvia her copy of the release form and a from acknowledge the transfer of custody.

Devon glanced at his watch and prayed that Sylvia would finish signing the release acknowledgement and custody transfer form before Sally could arrive. When he saw his co-conspirator finish signing her name with an elaborate flourish and cap her pen, Devon nearly allowed his relief-filled sigh to echo around the area. Seeing the subtle nod from Sylvia that signified everything was taken care off, Devon relaxed a bit and looked forward to his evening.

Sylvia handed the orderly a copy of the signed release form and bid the young man farewell and turned in the direction of a side door that bypassed the waiting room and led directly to the small parking lot where she'd stashed the little black convertible Devon had given her.

"Come on Preventor Tanisius, we still have those details about my vacation to go over and I want to get my plans finalized before the beginning of the week. Is that clear?", asked Sylvia in an official tone of voice.

"Yes Madam Vice Foreign Minister. That is crystal clear."

"Good, now let's go."

Devon gave the woman a nod before showing the orderly a dejected expression. The orderly chuckled as he recognized the look and mentally took pity on the sniper. His day wasn't over by a long shot. Watching the pair go through the side door and disappear from his sight, the orderly turned around and headed back to his office. He had other duties to take care of that were more important than one wayward sniper and an irritated politician.

Outside the building Sylvia was hurriedly unlocking the little car so they could make good their escape. Once the doors were unlocked and open, the two dropped into the leather seats with matching sighs.

"Hurry up and start the car Sylvia. These seats are freezing cold and I'm ready to get outta here!", exclaimed Devon as he brushed some of the snow out of his short hair.

Sylvia nodded as she inserted the key into the ignition and twisted. The little 2.0 liter turbo-charged car came to life with a well-muffled roar before subsiding into a happy little burble. After buckling their seatbelts and turning on the heater so that the inside of the car could rapidly warm-up, the couple shared a quick kiss. Sylvia started the front and rear windshield defrosters along with the windshield wipers before disengaging the parking break and shifting the gearshift into first while depressing the clutch.

Goosing the throttle a little bit to start the car moving, Sylvia directed the car towards the front gate. As the studded winter tires crunched over the packed snow and the windshield wipers slowly arced across the lightly covered glass knocking away the accumulated snow, Devon played with the stereo controls before finding the channel he wanted to listen to. Once he found it, the sniper turned to his driver and asked if the music was okay.

"Oh yeah, that's fine. I like hearing the easy listening music. It relaxes me as I drive.", commented Sylvia as she drove the car along the snow covered road towards the main gate.

"Just as long as you don't get too relaxed love; I don't want you falling asleep and cause an accident while we're getting away."

Sylvia cast a fond look at Devon and chuckled. Devon had reclined the seat a bit and had his eyes closed. She allowed her eyes to travel lasciviously up and down the lean figure of the man in the passenger seat before returning her gaze and concentration to the snow covered road ahead.

"Don't worry about me falling asleep at the wheel. I'm not the one who got into a down and dirty brawl with the foreign minister's husband. I bet that was exhausting in its' own little way. And on top of that you sent the prince to la-la land with one punch. Now can you tell me who else had gone toe to toe with the very best of the five pilots and then put the man formerly known as 'The Lightning Count' down in defeat? You are in an extremely exclusive fraternity my love. The only other people to ever beat Zechs Marquise in one on one combat are Heero Yuy and the late Treize Khushrenada.", stated Sylvia as she pulled up to the line of cars vying to get away from headquarters for the rest of the weekend.

Devon just grunted in amusement and kept his eyes closed. He just wanted to get away and start his suspension. A week of rest after the little soiree that had been this latest mission sounded like heaven to him. He wondered if he could get his lady to take the week off of work and spend it with him.

_**"Quiet days filled with as little activities as possible. Evenings spent in front of the fireplace in each other's arms watching movies or listening to the radio; staying up late and sleeping well past ten the next morning. Building a snowman in the yard and having snowball fights with the girls. Drinking hot chocolate and just hanging out and getting to know each other better.", **thought Devon as he relaxed even more. _

A sudden thought made Devon open his eyes and lift his head. He remembered that Sylvia had to come in to work on Monday and by then Sally and the commander would realize that he had again ditched the mandatory exam. He also realized that by then, Relena would realize that Sylvia had used her and would definitely be on the warpath. Hoping that Sylvia had some sort of backup plan, Devon mentioned his worries to her.

"Don't worry sweetheart. One of the forms Relena signed in addition to your release was a little slip authorizing yours truly to get a head start on my vacation with the stipulation that I have the reworked treaty I'm supposed to be working on complete by the time I return to work after New Years'. And wouldn't you know that the date of the start of my extended vacation is hmm, let me see, oh December 5th. Isn't that this upcoming Monday?", teased Sylvia with a trace of smug satisfaction.

It took a moment for her speech to register in Devon's mind. When it did and he realized how slick his lady was, Devon laughed uproariously. Sitting up in his seat for a moment, Devon leaned across the console separating the bucket seats and kissed Sylvia on the cheek. Seeing that there was only one car at the guard house ahead, Sylvia reminded Devon to act contrite.

"Now remember loverboy, we're supposed to be in a serious discussion about my vacation plans and the protective measures being taken to ensure my safety. That means you've gotta bring the seat upright and be raptly paying attention to me."

"Yes ma'am."

Sylvia nodded as she pulled the little coupe up to the parka covered gate guard. Rolling down her window a few inches so the guard could identify her and let her pass, Sylvia remained calm as the man approached the car and asked for her ID. Handing him her foreign ministry badge of office and Devon's Preventor identification card, Sylvia was treated to a double eyebrow lift of shocked realization. The guard handed both badges back and informed his back up in the gatehouse via radio to raise the barrier with all due haste. When the man responded with a laconic question, the guard went ballistic.

"You idiot, I got the VFM and the leader of sniper Team Delta departing the base and the VFM doesn't look happy with this delay. Now open the damn gate and let them out!"

"Yes sir, gate coming open now.", replied the guard as he pressed the button that raised the barrier.

Once the barrier was up, the gatehouse guard moved over to the coffeepot to refill his cup. Glancing at the clock to see how much time he had left before his shift inside ended and he had to take his turn as the outside guard, he lingered in the small kitchenette and thus missed the frantic call by Dr. Sally from Foreign Minister Yuy's office ordering the gate guards to prohibit any vehicle carrying Vice Foreign Minister Noventa and Preventor Tanisius from exiting the base. He returned to the switch just in time to see the little black coupe passing safely through the barrier and merging with the other traffic on the road. Closing the gate and retaking his seat, the guard watched as the speedy little coupe disappeared into the swirling snow rapidly falling to the ground.

His last view of the car was the ruby red taillights vanishing into the distance. Taking another sip of his cup of java, the guard waited for the next communication from the outside guard. He'd just placed his cup down and was picking up a Preventor newsletter when the phone jangled, demanding his attention.

"Guardhouse One duty guard, go ahead please.", answered the guard.

The collected tones of Foreign Minister Relena Peacecraft-Yuy floated over the line.

"Excuse me, this is the foreign minister. Have Vice Foreign Minister Noventa and Preventor Tanisius passed through your gate? We called earlier but nobody answered."

"Yes Madam Foreign Minister, the vice foreign minister and Agent Tanisius just passed through this gate no more than five minutes ago.", answered the guard innocently.

The line went quiet and he heard a muffled curse. Then he heard the very angry voice of the head of Preventor medicine venting her frustration.

_"Dammit!_ _That Sonuvabitch! He did it Again! Tanisius Ditched his Mandatory After Mission Exam Again and Ignored the Orders Given to Him!! _ _This Time Sylvia Noventa, of all People, Aided that Damn Sniper in his Escape. What is this Fuckin' Organization Coming to When a Blasted Team Leader Skips Out on His or Her Mandatory Exam? What Kind of Example is he Showing his People!!! Did you Even Realize what you were Signing, Relena?",_ cursed Sally as she paced back and forth in Relena's office.

The guard in the shack cast a confused glance at the phone. He wondered what the hell was going on. Returning the phone to his ear, he listened as the foreign minister snapped back at the angry physician. Once Foreign Minister Peacecraft-Yuy returned to the conversation, the guard could tell that it was taking all of her composure to keep calm. She thanked him for his honesty and promised that even though she was going to have to report his actions and the actions of his partner to their superior, she was going to intercede on their behalf, and then she hung up.

In the office of the foreign minister, Relena was informing Sally that all they had to do was call Sylvia on her ministry issued cell phone and have her bring the prodigal Agent Tanisius back. Sally wasn't having it; she was trying to get Relena to realize that Sylvia and Devon were in it together.

"Can't you get it Relena? Sylvia having you sign all those papers in the hallway was part of the plan and you fell for it! Crap, Now I'll have to wait till after the New Years to bring him in.", fumed Sally as she threw her hands up in frustration.

Relena glared at Sally as she dialed Sylvia's number. Not getting an answer after the first few rings, Relena waited. When the fifteenth ring went by without her deputy picking up, she slammed the phone down and cursed. It was only then that Relena realized how right Sally had been.

At Devon's house, the cell phone issued to Sylvia upon her ascendance to the position of vice foreign minister lay where it had been carelessly tossed as Sylvia had helped Devon inside and directed him towards the master bedroom where the master bath and its marble Jacuzzi bathtub sat.

Once Devon was situated in the Jacuzzi to her satisfaction, Sylvia returned downstairs to close and lock the door. Making her way back upstairs, she entered the sitting room and discarded her clothes. Naked as a newborn, Sylvia stepped over to her dresser; she opened up the bottom drawer and pulled out a shimmery green one piece swimsuit. If Devon hadn't been in the shape he was in, Sylvia would have forgone the swimsuit and just joined him in the Jacuzzi au natural. However with his injuries, she didn't want him to over exert himself just yet.

Reentering the master bath, the blonde haired politician dimmed the lights and opened the blinds so that she and Devon could look out and watch the snowstorm as evening fell. Once the blinds were opened to where she wanted them, Sylvia slipped into the hot water and saw Devon watching her with hooded eyes. Guessing the intentions behind the look, Sylvia shook her head.

"Not now, maybe later. Let's just relax, sit here and enjoy the view for now."

Disappointed but recognizing the wisdom in her decision, Devon just nodded and turned to face the window. He knew that with his injuries, he wasn't up for strenuous exercise just yet. Seconds later, Devon felt the water ripple as Sylvia approached his side. He waited till she was right beside him, then he wrapped an arm around Sylvia and pulled her closer. As he did, Devon felt Sylvia's arms wrap around his waist and heard her content purring. Together, the two sat in the bubbling Jacuzzi and watched the snow fall

_**And with that, I close out the fourth chapter of this narrative. I do hope that you've enjoyed the story up to this point. **_

_**Chapter Four was basically the chapter where I wanted to go ahead and dive into the intimate parts of the burgeoning relationship between Sylvia and Devon. It was also the chapter (as the title points out) where I wanted the tension from the confrontation between Devon and Heero to come to a head. I hope it turned out pretty well for you, the audience. **_

**_Yes I did it again, I again got over-descriptive! I apologize for that but I can't help it, I want to convey what I'm imagining as I write these chapters to you the readers so you can see what I see in your own imaginations ( I had to sit down and actually draw out the basic layout of Devon's house. I couldn't get it right in my head otherwise). I'll try not to get as descriptive next chapter as I did in this one. _**

**_Speaking of next chapter, the first part is basically going to be a continuation of the end of this chapter. Later, as the chapter progresses, I'm going to jump ahead a few weeks and see if I can pull off a family reunion for the Tanisius Clan for Christmas. I'm also planning on setting the stage for the New Years' vacation for Devon, his adopted daughters, and Sylvia. I'll also reintroduce Devon's daughters and give them a scene or three (you wouldn't believe how many names I had to go through before I settled on the names I used for his twins in this chapter. I was changing them every time I sat down to write.) _**

_**As usual I want to thank those of you who've patiently waited for this chapter to come out and are enjoying the story as it goes along. Hopefully I'll have chapter five out in less time than it took for chapter four. Keep the reviews coming and don't hesitate to say your piece. I accept any and all forms of criticism whether it is constructive or destructive. **_

**_I hope all y'all had a great Christmas (I did, I turned 32 on Christmas) and an even better New Year's! Keep on reading, writing, and reviewing!! For those of you, who are new to don't be afraid to post your own stories (as long as they follow the rules and regulations of course)._**

_**Thanks again to all of you for your patience!!**_

_**Knightewolfe**_

**_Knightewolfe's Lair _**

**_1/07._**


	6. A Tanisius Family Christmas part 1

For those of you who still want to read about

For those of you who still want to read about

the continuing relationship of the sniper and

the politician. Knightewolfe brings you

Chapter Five of this drama.

_**Sylvia's Solitary Soldier**_

_**Chapter 5**_

_**A Tanisius Family Christmas.**_

_**December 3, A.C. 201. 9:30 PM**_

It was starting to get late, but sharing the Jacuzzi with Devon was making Sylvia extremely happy. A couple of hours previously, Sylvia had helped Devon escape the nefarious clutches of the infamous head of Preventor medicine, Dr. Sally 'Busy-body' Po. Devon had just returned from a live fire training exercise/special mission assignment with his sniper team and had (as usual) decided to forgo the mandatory after mission exam.

What had started out as his usual ditch the exam exercise had been made worse by the fact that on this mission, Devon and his spotter both had gotten shot and Sally had wanted to check on their injuries to see how serious their wounds were. This ended badly when Heero confronted Devon in the locker room and the two got to brawling. In the end, Devon and Heero ended up with two weeks of suspension, Sylvia aided Devon in his ditching the ordered examination, and the two had made it off base seconds ahead of a call by Relena to keep them from leaving. Now with Devon feeling a little more relaxed, Sylvia slipped out from under Devon's arm and climbed out of the Jacuzzi. Going over to the linen closet, the full-figured politician reached in and pulled out a bath towel that she wrapped it around her body. Once her towel was secured tightly around her lithe body, she reached back into the closet and retrieved a towel for Devon and waited for him to get out of the warmth of the Jacuzzi.

"Devon are you alright, you seem a little bit tense.", stated Sylvia while watching him dry his self off and tie the towel in a knot around his hips.

"I'm fine Sylvia. A little later I have to go and meet a friend for a moment."

"Dammit, Devon what kind of friend wants you to meet him at ten o'clock at night in the middle of a heavy snowstorm that threatens to turn into a blizzard before the night is through!", retorted Sylvia as she crossed her arms over her ample chest.

Devon, distracted by Sylvia's actions, took a moment to answer. When he did, Sylvia retorted that the weatherman had mentioned that some of the roads were starting to ice up. Devon reassured Sylvia that he would be careful and that he wouldn't be gone long.

"I'll probably be gone about an hour or so. I won't be longer than ninety minutes though so I should be back home around eleven, eleven fifteen. You just be careful yourself. If you need them, you know where the stuff is, right? Good. You don't worry about me, I'll be fine.", Devon reassured Sylvia.

"Alright Devon, I'll let you go this once. But I want you to bundle up warmly. Before you go, do you want me to make us a quick bite to eat?"

"It's okay, love. Just have the fireplace roaring and the hot chocolate ready. We'll eat when I get back. Check the freezer and see if there's anything that suits your fancy. And don't worry about me bundling up, I'll be warm enough. You're starting to sound like a mother."

"Well then, if you stay warm then my motherly words were good for your hardheaded, but cute, ass. Just hurry up and come back home to me. Be careful out there, Devon."

_**"Home, our home, the home we share in secret, our weekend love nest. The home I want to share with you for the rest of our lives my dashing and darling dark sniper man.", **__thought Sylvia as she watched Devon walk into the bedroom to change clothes. _

As she lay in their bed penning her thoughts into her diary, Sylvia looked on as an entirely black-clad Devon made his way over to her side of the bed. Sitting by her side and laying his hands to each side of her body, Devon gazed into Sylvia's eyes. In his peripheral vision, the sniper was able to read the writing on her pajama top.

"So you leave teeth marks then?", asked Devon mischievously.

"Of course, how do you expect me to mark what's mine and no one else's?", answered Sylvia with a superior look.

Devon just laughed and leaned down to drop a kiss on her waiting lips. When he pulled away, Sylvia felt dismayed that the kiss was so short but realized that at the present moment it was all he could spare if he wanted to meet his friend on time. Blinking back the sudden wetness in her eyes, Sylvia gazed at Devon's face and read his expression. It told her that he would rather be staying with her and riding out the snowstorm instead of going out into it to meet a friend. His expression also told Sylvia that Devon would do everything in his power to return to her arms.

At the same time Devon was leaving the warm, alluring, and enticing embrace of Sylvia Noventa, his younger brother Morgan was gazing out the window of his dorm room and observing the snow as it fluttered to the ground. After closing out his phone conversation with his brother, Morgan had adroitly sidestepped Aziza Barkari and foisted her off onto one of the other guys in the dorm before disappearing through a convenient side door and exiting the chemistry building by a little used back entrance he'd found out about after his first week of classes. Sprinting the couple of hundred yards across the campus to his dormitory, Morgan had encountered none of Barkari's other match-making friends and just missed running into Duchess Khushrenada herself who just happened to be conversing with (wonder of all wonders) both Silesia and Millennia Wildstar about some little thing or another as they waited for a fellow member of the Academy's Shooting Team (or so Morgan inferred as he scampered past the trio and entered the dorm).

Ten steps into the dormitory building and the young chemist was striding across the foyer and formal living room. Slipping out of his snow-covered overcoat and draping it across his shoulder, Morgan made his way into the hallway and towards the stairs. Climbing several flights of steps and exiting the stairwell on the fourth floor, Morgan entered the main hallway and crossed through the fourth floor residents' lounge. At the present time, a round robin video game tournament was going on and from the yells and shouts of delight or despair, it sounded like it was nearing the championship game to Morgan.

Through the lounge and out into the residential area, Morgan made his way to his suite of rooms. Pulling his keys out of his pocket just as he stopped in front of the door to his suite, the youngest Tanisius unlocked the door and stepped inside. Reaching to his left as he stepped into the small living room/family room area, Morgan flipped on the lights. As the lights came on, the seventeen year old was letting his overcoat drop to the floor and had tossed his duffle bag full of books onto his couch. Dropping his keys onto the small coffee table at the end of his couch, Morgan snatched up his remote and turned on his entertainment system. The thirty-two inch flat screen television hanging on the wall came on and the news floated through his surround sound system. Dropping his lean seventy-two inch frame on the soft chamois leather couch, Morgan placed his arms behind his head and listened as the meteorologist on the screen continued with his weather predictions for the rest of the week. Knowing that whatever the weather guesser said was going to be about the continuing blizzard, he sighed and changed the channel.

"Devon said to wear all black. I wonder if I have anything in black to wear. Oh well I guess I'll have to find out.", muttered Morgan as he got up and entered his bedroom.

Entering the spacious and organized bedroom, the young man went over to his browse through his closet. It took him about ten minutes before he found a pair of black jeans that he hadn't worn since he left his home colony. Taking off the brown uniform pants and hoping that the jeans still fit, Morgan slid his lanky legs into the legs of the pants and was relieved to find out that the jeans still fit, albeit a bit more snugly than he remembered. Once that was done, the youngest of the Tanisius brood continued his search for a black or dark colored shirt to wear. Unfortunately the closest he came to black was a smoke grey long-sleeved turtleneck shirt. Shrugging his shoulders in resignation, Morgan slipped the shirt on. Entering the bathroom he shared with his classmate in the other suite, Morgan examined his attire in the mirror. Pleased with what he saw, he nodded once before turning around to reenter the living room. As he entered the main room of his suite, Morgan's practiced eye took in his domicile with a measured glance. Satisfied that everything was alright, he continued on his way to the couch and was almost there when something alerted him to the fact that he was no longer alone. Halting where he was, Morgan cast let his eyes flicker around the room to see who'd invaded his space.

"Took you long enough to realize I was here. You need to work on that, Morgan.", remarked Devon as he lounged casually at his brother's computer desk.

Relaxing as his brother's voice registered, Morgan turned around to face Devon. His relaxation turned to annoyance when he saw that Devon had booted up his computer and was nosing through his files. Striding across the room to put a stop to the invasion of privacy, Morgan growled a warning in his throat. Devon chuckled as he heard the growl but it didn't stop him from continuing his perusal of information.

"Devon what the hell do you think you're doing? That's my stuff you're going through!", growled Morgan as he reached the chair where his brother sat and prepared to yank him outta his seat.

"Jeez, whoever wrote this security program did a real crappy job at it. There are so many holes in this particular program that my daughters could break their way into your files with ease. Ah, I see, the school has a watchdog program for student computers so nobody could try to hack their way into the school's confidential files. Hmm, gimme a minute and I can fix this.", commented Devon as he tapped a few keys on the keyboard.

Morgan watched with a stunned interest as his brother dashed off an improved security program and installed it on his computer. When Devon was finished and had risen from his seat, Morgan replaced him and checked the status of his computer. Of course he'd spotted the watchdog program when he first hooked his system up to the school's network but he'd been unable to come up with any way to block it from peeping at his files. As a result, Morgan had committed only his schoolwork to the desktop system while handling his other files on the laptop he'd received as a birthday gift from Adrienne.

"What did you do, Devon?", asked Morgan.

"Just wrote a program that would block the Institute's mainframe from sniffing around in files it has no place being. However, this is only a temporary program. In order for me to make your desktop system secure I'd have to build you a new computer and transfer all of your files.", replied Devon nonchalantly.

"Really? When can you do that? I really need my system to be secure from prying eyes because there are times when I have to work on stuff I receive from the R and D department of the family business and I'd rather prefer the school not know about my proprietary formulas for Tanisius Security Technologies LTD. Plus a lot of my 'special' formulas that I can't remember right off the top of my head, I keep all of those on my laptop."

"Well since I've been suspended from work, I can build you a system made to the same stringent specifications as the ones I built for my daughters but not up to the specifications that I built for my…girlfriend.", replied Devon with a bit of a hesitation on the last word.

For the second time, Morgan heard his brother refer to his daughters. At first he'd passed it off but its usage for the second time in the course of the same conversation peaked his interest and he lifted a questioning eyebrow in Devon's direction. Devon saw the look and knew what Morgan was thinking. Nodding his head once, the sniper parted with one of his secrets.

"Yeah, I have children, two daughters in fact. I adopted them during the first Gundam War and forged the paperwork on the adoption. Back then pulling something off like that was easier than it is today. I just had to come up with a false name and present it, their birth certificates, and the correct documentation to certain officials. Presto, once it was approved I was the proud fifteen year old father of twin five year old girls."

Morgan's mind boggled as he imagined the task his brother had set out for himself. Doing some mental calculations, Morgan figured that if the twins were five years old when Devon adopted them, they'd be around eleven now and could possibly be students at St. Gabriel's. All of a sudden it hit him who Devon's daughters could be. Flashing back to their earlier conversation and how confident Devon had sounded when he brought up his plan to help Morgan out of the jam he was in with Aziza Barkari, Devon's daughters could only be two people. Devon watched as the realization of his daughter's identity appeared in Morgan's eyes. When his younger brother jerked his head back towards him, Devon nodded.

"Silesia and Millennia Wildstar are my adopted daughters.", confirmed Devon.

"What?? Those two are your adopted daughters? I had no idea."

"You weren't supposed to have an idea. Nobody was supposed to have an idea. And if I'm lucky nobody will figure it out until much later. Now wouldn't you think it was high time that you met your nieces?"

Amazed to no end, Morgan just nodded. Devon gestured for him to move and let him use the keyboard. Morgan rose dazedly and tried to follow his brother's fingers as they flew across his keyboard with a quickness that had the younger man wondering why his keyboard wasn't smoking as a result of his brothers' furious typing.

In the large living room of the Saint Gabriel's Institute girls dormitory, Silesia Wildstar was allowing her younger sister to carry the conversation they'd been having with Duchess Marimaia Khushrenada. As the quieter, more introspective of the twins, Silesia preferred to listen in on a conversation than be an active participant. With Millennia being the most outgoing of the pair and willing to start a conversation with anyone, it worked out just fine. At the moment Millennia and the duchess were conversing about something inconsequential happening with their shooting team and a competition they were going to be participating in next semester. During a short break in the conversation, Silesia felt a vibration on her side and recognized it as coming from her personal data assistant her father had been most adamant about both of them having. Sliding her PDA from its holster on the belt of her uniform skirt, Silesia checked it and saw that she had a message. Her eyebrow lifted as she recognized the sender.

_**"What does dad want now, darnit? Does he realize that the two of us still have one final to study for?",**__ thought Silesia as she keyed in her password and read the message._

Millennia Wildstar had caught her twin sister's movements in her peripheral vision and blew one of her bangs back into place as she listened to Marimaia continue to speak about the team. Seeing that her usually unflappable sister was shaken by what she'd read on her PDA, Millennia held up a hand and stopped the upperclassman from speaking for a moment. Turning to her sister, she asked what was wrong.

"Papa's on his way to pick us up and take us out to dinner.", stated Silesia in French. __

"Oh? I thought he'd be at home with his girlfriend now?", replied Millennia in Spanish.

"Me too, but he says he has somebody he wants us to meet. He'll be here in about twenty minutes."

"Ah, I see. I wonder who it is he wants us to meet. Did he give any indications about who it was?"

"No. He just said to be ready and wear something comfortable."

Millennia nodded and returned her attention to the redheaded upperclassman in front of her. Secretly rejoicing in the fact that her and her sister had been changing languages during their short conversation, Millennia saw that Marimaia was thoroughly in the dark. Making apologies for her and her sister, Millennia had told the duchess that a family matter had come up and she needed to cut the conversation short.

"Of course Millennia, I understand. Family does come first sometimes, especially since it's just you, your sister, and your father. We'll continue this conversation when you return.", replied a thoroughly confused Marimaia.

"Thanks for understanding, team captain. We'll be back soon. Hopefully our father won't keep us out too late, this blizzard's getting worse."

Marimaia nodded in agreement and headed through the double doors that separated the rest of the dorm-which was off limits to male students after ten pm-from the lobby where boys could hangout with their friends or girlfriends until 10:30. When the elder teen had vanished from their sight, Millennia nudged Silesia and indicated that they had about twelve minutes before their father arrived. And they both knew that Ivan Wildstar was a stickler for punctuality.

"Yeah, let's go. I'll call dad back when we get to our room. It'll be better that way.", commented Silesia.

Back at the boys' dorm, Morgan glanced at his brother as Devon sat on his couch and waited for the phone call he expected. It amused him to no end to watch as Devon sat and watched the weather unconcernedly. Morgan had already seen that Devon was carrying a weapon in a shoulder holster and was wearing concealable body armor. It seemed to Morgan that Devon was always prepared. Deciding to change the subject and ask about the other word he'd keyed in on during their earlier conversation, Morgan leaned casually against the counter and asked his question. He stifled a laugh as Devon blinked his eyes in confusion.

"Who is she?"

"Who is who?"

"When you were speaking earlier you referred to somebody you'd built a computer for as your 'girlfriend'. I just want to know who she is?", replied Morgan.

Devon gritted his teeth in frustration. He'd hoped that Morgan would key in on 'daughters' and not 'girlfriend'. Unfortunately, his younger brother had keyed in on both words and was now asking to assuage his curiosity.

_**"Dammit, I should've realized the little brat would be that perceptive. Crap inna hat!", **__thought Devon as he crossed his arms and tried to think of a way to answer that question without giving too much away. _

Luckily his phone rang before he could come up with an acceptable answer. Hearing the vices on the other end of the line say that they were ready, Devon grunted once then hung up. Turning to Morgan he gave him a look that needed no interpreting.

"We'll talk about it when we get in the car and away from the institute. I'd rather not have some lucky SOB with a shotgun microphone finding out about my personal life. And before you ask, yes the twins know about it. And they approve most wholeheartedly. It helps that my …girlfriend dotes on them as much as she can whenever we get a chance to be together. Now let's go. The roads are going to get worse and I wanna get to the den as soon as possible.", growled Devon in a tone that brooked no argument.

"Alright brother dear, but once we get to the den, you know mom and dad are going to want a full and detailed report about this so-called girlfriend of yours and about your daughters.", commented Morgan lightly as he deftly avoided the punch that came out of nowhere.

A few minutes later, Morgan was standing beside a dark grey Mazda Protégé MP3 with deeply tinted windows and six spoke wheels powder coated in midnight black. He whistled in appreciation. He knew the basic specifications of this car and wanted one for himself.

"Like it?", asked Devon as he unlocked the doors and climbed in.

"Like it, I love it, bro? Where'd you get a car like this? Damn, two liter, four cylinder engine. Front wheel drive. Wicked cool.", stated Morgan as he dropped into the bucket seat.

Devon chuckled as he listened to Morgan recite the specifications on his chosen car. As it was, his brother was reciting the specifications of the car as it came off the lot brand new. Morgan didn't know that Devon had his cars modified as soon as he got them to his warehouse.

"You're good and those specs would be right for the stock version. Of course you realize that once I get a car, it doesn't stay stock for long."

"Really, do tell! What changes have you made to this car?", asked Morgan giddily.

"Converted it from front-wheel drive to all-wheel drive, yanked the 2.0 liter engine and replaced it with a turbo-charged 2.3 liter engine. Added a different spoiler and installed some…. other additions that I won't talk about now. If you want this car, it's yours on your next birthday."

"Ya mean it? I mean do you have anything else to drive if you give me this car?"

Devon grinned as he maneuvered the vehicle towards the front of the girls' dorm. If Morgan knew that his brother had a warehouse full of cars that would make this one pale in comparison, he'd be green with envy. Deciding to keep that information to himself for now, Devon pointed out the glove compartment and asked his brother to pass him the eye patch that was inside. When Morgan cast a questioning look in his direction, Devon just shook his head. Bringing the car to a stop next to Silesia and Millennia, Devon took off his glasses and tied the patch over his dominant eye. It bugged him to cover his right eye this way but it was better than everybody finding out who he really was whenever he came to pick up his daughters.

Just inside the door of her dorm, Aziza Barkari was enjoying the taste of a very welcome cup of hot chocolate she'd gotten from the machine near the television. The ebony beauty had commandeered one of the comfortable chairs by the window to watch the snow as it fell. As she'd sat down, the recently turned sixteen years old teenager had spotted the Wildstar twins as they crossed the room and headed for the door.

"Where are those two going at this time of evening and in this blizzard?", murmured Aziza.

She took a sip and remembered that her roommate Marimaia had told her that their father had called and was picking up to take them somewhere. Aziza grunted and returned her attention to the falling snow just as a dark grey four door sedan pulled up to a stop in front of the dormitory. Watching the vehicle for a moment, she recognized the one-eyed figure that climbed out of the car on the driver's side as Mr. Wildstar, the twins' father. Aziza observed the twins give their father a hug and felt a twinge of homesickness. Her family was thousands of miles away and rarely made it to St. Gabriel's for visits.

Wiping away the solitary tear that started to roll down her cheek, Aziza was about to return her attention to the falling snow when a sudden commotion by the car caught her attention. Focusing on the vehicle, it became readily apparent that the twins weren't expecting somebody to sitting in the passenger seat of the car and were protesting to their father. Craning her elegant neck to see what the fuss was about, Aziza received a shock; she knew who the passenger of the car was. In fact, she'd been trying her hardest to get that young man together with her best friend ever since he'd started attending school.

"What in god's name is Morgan Tanisius doing with the Wildstar Twins? Is he some sort of family friend or is there something else? This bears looking in to.", mused Aziza.

Deciding to get a head start on finding out the link between Morgan Tanisius and Silesia and Millennia Wildstar, Aziza finished her cocoa and got up from her perch. She had some phone calls to make. But first things first, there was somebody who needed to know this information as soon as possible.

_**"Even if she swears up and down that here is nothing between them, Marimaia needs to act fast if she wants a date for the end of semester bash. I know for a fact that there are at least fifteen girls vying to be the first to ask Morgan Tanisius to the dance as soon as finals are over. Hmm, I'll have to get the jump on them. Luckily, he's in Mari's class and my class is right next door. If can catch him before class, Marimaia will have a leg upon the competition. I better get cracking on this. It promises to be the biggest subject the girls of this school ever had since Relena Darlian chased after Heero Yuy when they were students here.", **__thought Aziza as she boarded the elevator to the top floor where she and Marimaia shared a five bedroom suite with their friends._

A few miles up the road and away from the school, Devon was introducing Silesia and Millennia to their uncle. He'd removed the eye patch as soon as he'd driven through the gate and was out of the viewing range of the security cameras hidden in the trees. He'd been a bit worried about how the twins would react to the news but to his immense pride, they'd already figured out he was somehow related to their father ever since he'd been attending St. Gabriel's. Silesia had told him that Morgan carried himself in almost the same way as Devon did and they'd had their suspicions but had refrained from asking just to be safe.

"Good, I'm proud of you two for being so observant. Yes Morgan is indeed related, he's my younger brother. Morgan introduce yourself to your nieces, it seems they're curious about you.", commented Devon as he watched the swiftly icing up road as he made his way to the Lion's Den.

"We've already been introduced. I don't see why I have to introduce myself again.", retorted Morgan.

"Morgan the three of you were introduced as schoolmates not as family. Now introduce yourself as family and do it in our native language."

Morgan sighed but its intonation told Devon that it was a humorous sigh instead of one of frustration. Turning in his seat as much as his seat belt would allow, Morgan introduced himself to Silesia and Millennia. He was surprised when they answered in the same language. Cutting his eyes towards his brother, he saw the confirmation there.

"Yes, I taught them the language, among other things. They also know about my alter ego."

Morgan lifted an eyebrow in surprise. He was about to ask another question when Silesia posed a question to him.

"Uncle Morgan, do you have a tattoo like papa does?", came the soft voice of the eldest of Devon's children.

"Yes I do. I have a similar tattoo. Do you think you can guess what it is?", asked Morgan as he unconsciously rubbed the left side of his chest where his tattoo of a Mountain Lion was inscribed.

The two girls bent their heads towards each other and conversed for a moment in a rapid way before looking at their uncle and making their guess.

"'Hmm, since papa has a panther tattoo, we'd guess that yours would be a lion or a leopard.", commented Silesia.

"You'd be wrong Silesia; my tattoo is of a mountain lion. But in our family we do have two people with those tattoos. You'll just have to guess who has what when you meet them. Devon, have you given any thought to what their nicknames are going to be?"

"Yeah, I've already decided. I asked them and they chose their nicknames. Silesia's nickname is Lynx while Millennia's is Puma.", answered Devon as he pulled into the driveway of the Lion's Den.

As the car eased under the archway in front of the main door, Devon told his daughters that whenever they were within the walls of the 'Lion's Den' they were Silesia and Millennia Tanisius. If they were asked their names while they were at school or in the city shopping with friends, they were Silesia and Millennia Wildstar. Millennia sighed as the words echoed underneath the archway.

"Yeah, dad we know. We've been living with that surname for the past six years or so. I think we got it down pat."

Devon looked at Morgan who chuckled and mouthed the word _'cheetah' _to the unspoken question.

Once that interplay was over, Morgan glanced around as Devon shut the engine off. Opening his door and climbing out of the car, Morgan headed for the double doors that lead into his family's house. Glancing over at the garage, he saw the large four door sedan that had brought his parents to the house after they'd landed. Nodding to himself he shifted his attention to the other cars and stiffened. There were two other vehicles parked there in addition to Adrienne's luxury coupe.

"Well shit, looks like everyone is here. Mom and Dad even found a way to sneak Sabretooth in.", Morgan commented to his brother.

Devon stiffened as he heard the nickname he hadn't heard in years.

"Mom and Dad brought grandmother with them? This is thraggling wonderful!"

Morgan nodded and used his house key to unlock the right side door. Opening the heavy door, Morgan stepped inside and waited for his brother and nieces to enter. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Devon was protectively clasping the hands of Silesia and Millennia. He knew or at least remembered how particular and old fashioned their grandmother was. Throwing caution to the wind, Morgan Rupert Tanisius led his older brother and nieces towards the voices emanating from the family room.

Fifty-six year old Leopold Tanisius sat impatiently on the couch in the living room of the family home as he listened to his two daughters argue about some inconsequential point. Fifteen minutes after he and his wife of nearly thirty years had arrived at their home away from home, Adrienne had come home from work. The eldest of the Tanisius offspring had nearly froze when she entered the house and saw her parents stretched out in front of the TV watching some movie or another. She hadn't been expecting them to come to Earth where she knew there where there three arrest warrants with their names on them and at least one open ended high paying contract on their heads. Adrienne had been even more surprised when her grandmother Gwendolyn 'Sabretooth' Tanisius had came downstairs from the guest bedroom and smacked her upside the head.

Gwendolyn Tanisius was seventy-eight years old and still able to hold her own against her son and daughter-in-law in sparring sessions back on their home colony. Gwendolyn was also an accomplished assassin in her own right. According to figures Adrienne had researched there were at least three hundred and fifty-two 'supposed' assassinations accredited to her grandmother and Adrienne seriously suspected that that number was way on the low side. Since her retirement from the life of an assassin, Sabretooth had been devoting her time to helping out on the colony and traveling (incognito of course) around the world and enjoying her retirement. Gwendolyn had even spent several years with the tribe the family was descended from in Africa. At the moment, she was upstairs sleeping the jet lag off.

It was after the admonishment given to her by her grandmother that Jordan had entered and commented on it. Of course that set Adrienne off and the two were steadily arguing the point. In the middle of this discussion, Owen had arrived and upon seeing that his two sisters were arguing again had immediately made his way to his bedroom. He didn't want to get caught up in the confrontation if it turned physical. Now watching his daughters argue, Leopold looked to his wife and shook his head in resignation. Brianna chuckled quietly before joining her husband on the couch.

"And I thought this was supposed to be a quiet getaway for my birthday. We should've stayed on the shuttle. Right now we could've been relaxing in the lodge enjoying some champagne.", retorted the quiet voice of Brianna Etienne Tanisius.

The matriarch of the Tanisius Clan and her husband had come to Earth to celebrate her fifty-third birthday. Brianna had wanted to go skiing and Leopold had given in to her pleading. He also had an ulterior motive for coming to Earth but he didn't want to let his wife know about it.

"Yeah, I know. Now I can't wait till Morgan shows up. This ought to be good. Do you want to end this little spat between our girls or should I?", commented Leo in his baritone voice.

"I'll do it. I'm better at handling these two than you are. One suggestion is all it'll take to stop the squabbling."

Leo winced he knew exactly what his wife was going to suggest and didn't envy either of his daughters. He watched as his wife straightened up and stated to say something. However, somebody beat her to it.

Gwendolyn Tanisius had a headache and was trying to sleep it off. Unfortunately her granddaughters wouldn't shut the hell up. Figuring that they both needed a quick lesson in respect, she'd come downstairs to straighten them out. As she stepped into the family room, Gwen cast a withering look at the arguing siblings. Seeing that her daughter-in-law was about to intervene, Gwen decided to give Brianna a break. Clearing her throat with an authority that was undeniable, she cast gimlet eyes on Adrienne and Jordan as their bickering tapered of.

"Adrienne Nicole Tanisius, Jordan Victoria Tanisius if you two would accompany me to the workout room we'll get to the bottom of this.", requested Gwen calmly.

The frightened looks on her granddaughters' faces were priceless. They knew that they were in for it. At least against their mother, Jordan and Adrienne could hold their own. Against their grandmother, Jordan and Adrienne hoped that it would only go quickly. Just as they were about to resign themselves to their painful fate, Owen entered the room with the phone to his ear. Gwen's eyes lit up with glee as she saw her grandson.

Owen had been on the phone with his girlfriend Fatima Winner and was listening to what she had planned for his return to L-4. He'd entered the family room on is way towards the kitchen to grab a quick drink and a bite to eat. Owen hadn't been paying attention and missed the complete silence when he entered the room. It was only when he became aware of the lack of sound that he looked around. The first thing he saw was the speculative gleam in his grandmother's eyes and knew what it meant.

"Umm, Fatima, I'm sorry but I have to go. Something's just came up.", Owen spoke into the phone.

"But muffin, I want your opinion on the new sheets I bought.", whined Fatima.

In the silence of the room, Fatima's words echoed, much to Owen's discomfort. Risking a glance at his grandmother, he saw that the gleam in her eyes had gotten brighter.

"Fatima, I'm really sorry but I really have to go. I'll call you back as soon as possible and we'll talk about your sheets then. I promise.", stammered Owen as he hoped and prayed that his fiancé wouldn't say the one phrase he knew would set his grandmother off.

Unfortunately, the gods weren't listening to Owen's prayers at that particular moment. Just as he feared, Fatima said the words he'd been dreading.

"Owen, these sheets are silk and I want your opinion on them right bloody now! I bought them especially for when you return to L-4."

Before he could reply, Gwen strode over to her grandson with a speed and grace that defied her age and effortlessly snatched the phone out of his hand. Placing it against her ear, she cut Fatima off.

"Fatima, my grandson will call you back as soon as he is able. I'm about to give him and his sisters a lecture they won't forget. Have a good evening.", stated Gwen before hanging up the phone.

Turning to her grandson and handing him the now disconnected handset, she heard his low moan.

"Now, Owen Rupert Tanisius will you please follow your sisters into the workout room."

Owen gave Adrienne and Jordan a look that would cut glass and mouthed the words _'I blame you two for this' _as he leaned against the wall pouting.

As her grandson pouted and her granddaughters whimpered, Gwendolyn Tanisius glanced around the room and rubbed her hands together. All she needed now was the youngest and everyone would learn a very painful lesson. Brianna looked at her husband and started to say something when her mother-in-law held up a finger for quiet.

"Don't you worry I'll deal with you two later."

Leo and Brianna Tanisius' shoulders slumped in resignation. It was just like mother dearest to want to teach everyone a lesson at one time. They hoped that Morgan was in his dorm room studying. That was the only thing that would save him from this soon to be painful lesson of life. Just as they thought that, Morgan's voice echoed through the house (seems that the disparate deities weren't listening to Leopold and Brianna either. Must be a hot celestial poker game going on). Morgan entered the room and prepared to greet everyone. His greeting died in his throat when he saw the resigned looks cast his way. Reading everyone's expressions he could guess what had happened:

Grandmother Tanisius was about to dispense some old fashioned family discipline.

It was at that moment that Morgan realized he had the power to cause the pain his family was about to receive to be averted. Deciding to act as if everything was alright, Morgan asked the question everyone was dreading.

"Did I interrupt anything?"

His question was met by groans of frustration from his parents, whimpers from his sisters, and a long drawn out _'you asshole'_ from his brother Owen; his grandmother's only reaction was an increased gleam in her eyes. Morgan prepared himself for the words he knew were coming next.

"Morgan Richard Tanisius, would you care to accompany the rest of the family to the workout room?", asked Gwendolyn.

"Yes ma'am, just let me tell my guests that I'll be a busy for a short while. Would you mind if they wait in here for me?", replied Morgan.

"I wouldn't mind it at all. This shouldn't take long."

Everyone in the family winced. Gwendolyn ignored it and continued rubbing her hands together before stopping for a moment of quick reflection.

"Now if only Devon were here.", she commented quietly.

The other members of the family cast rapid glances at each other except for Morgan. Coming out of her short reverie, Gwen looked at Adrienne with a calculating look in her eyes. Adrienne winced even more and tried to shy away from the penetrating gaze. She knew that even though her grandmother had forgiven her, she hadn't forgotten how Adrienne had lost Devon in the first place. Ignoring the worried looks from the rest of his family, Morgan turned around and went to retrieve his guests. No one but Owen noticed when Morgan reentered with a self-satisfying little grin on his face.

_**"Little bro has something up his sleeve. He's looking as if grandmother's request isn't fazing him. Usually he'd be even more worried than Adrienne about the repercussions from a workout with Grandmother Gwen. Something ain't right here. Who is he hiding?", **__mused Owen. _

The answer for his brother's nonchalance hit Owen like a two by four. There could only be one reason for Morgan's nonchalance. Owen ran every possible permutation through his mind in a matter of seconds before deciding on a course of action. Gazing intently into Morgan's eyes, Owen saw the ever so subtle nod the seventeen year old gave him. Clearing his throat, he forged ahead and made his move.

"Morgan, why don't you bring your guests in and introduce them first. We wouldn't want people we didn't know just sitting in our home wouldn't we?", called Owen all the while ignoring the looks of his sisters and parents who probably thought he was insane.

"That sounds like a good idea, Owen. Gimme a minute and I'll bring them right in.", replied Morgan as he returned to the entryway.

_**"If that's Devon waiting out there, then Morgan just saved our respective asses."**__, thought Owen as he relaxed a bit and allowed a small smile to touch his features. _

Back out in the entryway, Morgan was doing all he could to keep from laughing as he relayed the story to Devon, Silesia, and Millennia. Of course his nieces didn't get it but Morgan promised them he would explain everything later. Rising to his feet, he turned to Devon.

"Bro you better get in there. Owen's figured it out but mom, dad, and our sisters haven't yet. This is making them very nervous as you can guess.", commented Morgan.

"Grandmother got everyone? I can't believe it. I kind of guessed she'd get Addy and Vikki but to get Owen as well and our parents on top of that. Grandmother must be really in a bad mood. Ya wanna make them sweat a bit more?", asked Devon with a wicked grin.

"Yeah, but how can we do that?", asked Morgan.

Devon jerked his head in the direction of the piano sitting in the living room and it dawned on Morgan what his brother intended to do. He nodded in agreement and listened as Devon asked Silesia to play the song he'd taught both of them when they were younger.

"Millennia stay here and watch for my signal. Once you see it, pass it on to your sister so she can start playing. Once she starts playing, you sing along."

"But daaad!!", whined the younger twin.

"But nothing, you sing better than you play. And she plays better than she sings. End of discussion."

Millennia started to grumble under her breath but stopped when Devon cast a cold gaze in her direction.

"Do you want your first impression of your great grandmother to be one overlaid with pain? My grandmother is a bit old-fashioned. She has her own way of dealing with attitude problems and disrespect.", asked Devon.

Millennia and Silesia both shook their heads rapidly in a negative manner while their uncle smirked. Morgan turned to Devon and mentioned that his daughters pick up on things pretty quickly for ones at so young an age. Devon agreed before adding that if Adrienne and Jordan had been a quicker on the uptake, things wouldn't have gotten this far.

"Yeah, those two always cause a problem when they disagree about something. I'm just wondering how Grandmother caught Owen. He's usually better than this."

"I betcha he was on the phone with Fatima Winner and forgot where he was and who was here."

Morgan nodded at his brother's words and was about to comment some more on it when Silesia piped up from her position by the piano.

"Sounds like you when you're talking to Vice Foreign Minister Noventa, father."

Devon turned red while Morgan looked astounded and Millennia just groaned and shook her head at her sister. Silesia glanced innocently around and wondered what was with the drama. She was about to comment on it some more when she heard a voice call for Morgan from the other room. Devon and Morgan glanced at each other and came to a decision.

"Follow me, bro and we'll surprise everyone. However, don't be surprised if Grandmother wants to talk to you."

"No problem. I can handle myself."

"You don't know grandmother's skills."

"And you don't know what I am capable of now, Morgan and let's just leave it at that."

Morgan was about to shake his head but something in his brother's voice told him to drop the subject. He shrugged his shoulders and started towards the family room with Devon right behind him.

Back in the family room, Owen crossed his arms and waited to see if his theory was right. When he saw Morgan reenter the room, the oldest Tanisius son mentally crossed his fingers and looked behind the teen. Owen was vindicated when he saw the familiar figure just over Morgan's shoulder.

_**"Oh yeah!! His arrival gets everyone off grandmother's shit list. Thank you lord for delivering us from the pain we were sure to receive from Grandmother."**__, thought a relieved Owen. _

Morgan continued on into the room ignoring the look of relief that flashed across Owen's face. Coming down the steps into to room, Morgan made sure everyone else's eyes were on him. He wanted to see their reactions when Devon stepped into the room. Stopping at the foot of the steps next to the couch where his parents sat, Morgan leaned over and hugged Brianna and shook hands with Leopold.

'Hi mom, dad, how's things?", asked Morgan innocently.

"Things would've been better if your sisters hadn't been arguing again.", grumbled Leo as he crossed his arms over his massive chest.

"Ah, I see. I take it that Addy and Vikki were acting like their usual selves."

_"Dammit, Morgan, I've told you time and time again! My Name Is Adrienne, not Addy!", _shrieked Adrienne from her spot across the room.

Morgan apologized as he ignored Jordan's snicker and turned to his grandmother. Gwen was glaring at him with very stormy eyes that promised him he would be in more pain if he didn't just get to the introduction of his guests. She was about to speak when Morgan cut her off.

"Grandmother I know I said I was going to introduce my friend to the family but I think that since everyone here knows him already, he doesn't need to be introduced.", stated Morgan with a smug look on his face.

At the same time as his pronouncement, the piano in the other room started playing a familiar melody. Everyone jerked their heads towards the music but stopped when they say the figure dressed in all black leaning confidently against the wall. It took a second for the minds of his sisters, parents, and grandmother to process what they were seeing but it all became moot when Owen pushed himself from his perch on the wall and walked over to the figure with an extended hand.

"Heyas bro, what's happening?"

"Hi yourself Owen and I've gotta know, how did you manage to draw grandmother's ire?", replied Devon as he give his older brother a hug before coming further into the room.

"You can blame that on my loudmouthed girlfriend. I was on the phone and she happened to mention silk sheets and my opinion about them when grandmother walked into the room, snatched my phone outta my hand and hung up. As usual, you can blame this whole deal on Adrienne and Jordan.", returned Owen as he leaned against the back of the couch.

There was silence for a moment before the entire room exploded with questions, greetings, and comments. Gwen Tanisius cut through the ever increasing noise with a question that had everyone thinking.

"If you aren't playing the damn piano Devon, then who the hell is?", asked Gwen with her arms akimbo.

Devon gave everyone a mysterious grin and turned his head over his shoulder and called the pianist and her sister in to the room.

"Silesia, Millennia can you come here please, I want the two of you to meet the rest of your family.", called Devon.

The melody from the piano stopped as everyone in the room heard the patter of adolescent feet hurrying across the tile floor. The twin entered the room and stood next to their father.

"Everyone, I want you to meet my daughters: Silesia and Millennia Wildstar. Before you ask, I adopted them and they're twins in the broadest sense. Silesia, Millennia, I want you to meet your family."

Devon moved around the room with his daughters in tow introducing them to their aunts Adrienne and Jordan, their Uncle Owen, their grandparents, and their great grandmother. During the introductions all that could be heard other than Devon's introductions was the laughter of Morgan as he reacted to the family's reaction. Everyone was stunned and it took a few minutes before they could speak coherently.

After the introductions, it didn't take long for the Tanisius Clan to accept the girls as true Tanisius'. There were approving nods from Leopold, Brianna, and Gwendolyn when Devon announced that his daughters had already been given their nicknames. At least their wayward offspring was keeping with the family tradition.

Twenty minutes later, Devon was relaxing with his family as they sat around the family room catching up. As expected, his mother and two sisters took an instant shine to the eleven year old twins and whisked them away to show the twins around and try to subtly learn more about him and his present life. The only thing that worried Devon about this was the fact that on occasion, Silesia-if she was loosened up enough-was apt to spill about his relationship with the VFM. She'd already done so at school a couple of times. Devon was answering a question from his father at the moment as he thought about that embarrassing moment. Unfortunately, by the next day the information that Silesia Wildstar's father was dating Vice Foreign Minister Noventa flashed around Saint Gabriel's Institute at a speed that defied acknowledgement. Of course it got out to the press, somehow, and for two whole weeks, He and Sylvia hadn't been able to be with each other on the weekends like they had been. The members of the press had camped out at his house and at Noventa Manor trying to get pictures of the couple together but were disappointed when it quickly became apparent that Ivan Wildstar was out of the country on another of his innumerable business trips and couldn't be reached for comment. Devon thanked all the deities he knew that the Vice President of his company had the chutzpah to have reporters arrested on sight if they even came near the Wildstar Technologies Unlimited building.

At the moment, Devon was leaning on the back of the couch listening to his father and older brother talk business. Of course, Leopold was trying to direct the conversation ever so subtly to the relationship between Owen and Fatima and was wondering when Owen was going to propose. Owen was evading the questions and trying to bring the conversation back to the business at hand. Devon humorously shook his head as Owen evaded another question and decided to change the subject. His brother turned to him and asked him what he was doing out on a night like this.

"I mean, look outside Devon; that ain't just a regular heavy snowstorm, that's a damn blizzard. I'm curious as to why you'd be out anyway, don't you have anyone waiting for you and keeping your sheets warm?", Owen questioned with a lifted eyebrow.

"Owen, whether or not I have somebody waiting for me at home like Fatima is waiting for you is none of your business. To answer your main question, I'm out in this weather because I have a job to do. You remember what I told you the nickname the press tagged me with shortly after the Second Gundam War? I got a tip that one of my targets will be out and about tonight. If Morgan hadn't told me that mom and dad were here, I'd be just leaving my house and warm sheets right about now. However I decided to leave early so I could pick up Morgan and see the family. Of course I'm also trying to help little bro out of a possible social life jam up.", stated Devon before taking a sip of the imported Hot chocolate, his grandmother had prepared for him.

Brianna Tanisius entered the room and heard the last of Devon's words. She'd left Adrienne, Jordan, Silesia, and Millennia in order to fix a plate of sandwiches and chips. The four girls had decided they were hungry and wanted something to eat. Turning to Morgan, who was chatting with his grandmother about his schooling and grades (and admonishing him about the necessity to keep his grades up), Brianna asked about what Devon had mentioned. Devon answered for his, now blushing, younger brother.

"Oh it seems that one of the friends of Duchess Marimaia Khushrenada is angling to ask Morgan to the End of Semester Dance this Friday. However, Morgan's guessed that Aziza Barkari is going to beg off going at the last minute and push Marimaia as her substitute. When he called me to let me know that you and dad were dropping in, he complained about the setup. I decided to help him and introduce him to his nieces at the same time. Now if the twins will agree, Morgan can escort them to the dance and happily ruin Aziza's well thought-out plan."

"Why not just take the duchess and get it over with. It's not like they haven't met before, right?", commented Owen as his parents and grandmother looked on.

"Actually….umm…..ah….. Duchess Khushrenada and I have already met. She…… ah, collided with me in the park shortly after I arrived. I had been attending a meeting at Tanisius Security Technologies LTD headquarters here on Earth but almost fell asleep. Adrienne told me to get some air while she handled the rest of the meeting. Remember, back in the news a few months back that one of the companies' junior vice presidents ended up in the hospital with a gunshot wound? That was Adrienne's way of dealing with the embezzlement problem. Well, that day, I was walking in the park and Mari ran into me. I caught her as she fell to keep her from getting hurt. Well Aziza saw that and thanked me for it. When she found out I was single, she pounced on it and waited until I enrolled and started classes to try and push me and Mari together. It doesn't help that Mari and I have a couple of the same classes.", stammered Morgan as he tried to answer and stifle his embarrassment at the same time.

Devon looked at his family as they absorbed the news. He could see his father nodding in appreciation for the measures his eldest had taken with the problem that had popped up with the greedy junior VP, while his mother and grandmother were thinking about the implications of the youngest of the five in a relationship with the Khushrenada Duchess. Everything was being resolved when two eleven year old balls of energy came bouncing into the room and started jabbering at their father. Devon chastised the twins for interrupting and told them to wait until the present conversation was finished, and then he'd spend some time with them. As the twins went to take a seat, Devon saw his sisters enter the room and took note of their expressions. He was a bit concerned about what he saw. His older sister had a look that said she'd bit into something sour while Jordan looked smug.

Adrienne felt as if she'd chomped down on a lemon and it had left a sour taste in her mouth. Her brother was seeing-and sleeping with if her ears had heard right-one of her least favorite people? She needed to get down to the bottom of this quick. Upon entering the room and waiting till Devon had finished scolding the twins about interrupting, the eldest Tanisius offspring crossed the room with her graceful stride that brought to mind the stride of her namesake and stopped directly in front of Devon and looked him dead in the eyes (which was a slight challenge since she was a few inches shorter than he). When the room quieted down, Adrienne asked the question he'd been dreading.

"Devon, are you sleeping with the Vice Foreign Minister of the Earth Sphere United Nations?"

Devon groaned in resignation. His oldest daughter had done it again.

"Adrienne, who I'm sleeping with, is none of your business. My personal life is not up for discussion."

"The hell it isn't! Now answer the damn question or we can take this to the workout room.", snapped Adrienne, forgetting for a minute that it was Devon's timely arrival that had saved her a trip to the same place.

Devon narrowed his eyes and put down his mug. He really didn't want to do this but he also didn't want everyone in his family pestering him about his relationship with Sylvia Noventa until he was sure about his feelings for her himself.

"Fine Adrienne I'll follow you to the workout room; Jordan do you know where the wrist and ankle weights are kept?"

"Yeah Devon I know where they are. But excuse me for asking, why do you need them?", questioned Jordan as she uncoiled herself from the recliner in a way that had her father and brothers looking displeased.

"I need the weights so I don't hurt Miss Hardhead over there."

There was a collective gasp as Adrienne turned on her brother with a nasty grin. So, Devon thought he would hurt her, did he? Well he had another thought coming.

_**"I'm going to make him pay for that remark.", **__thought Adrienne as she locked her gaze on Devon._

The room crackled with sudden electricity as the eldest Tanisius child and the middle Tanisius child gazed at each other for a long moment before Adrienne stalked away with an exaggerated stride. Devon just shrugged his shoulders and made a comment to Owen and his father. The two men nodded in agreement as Devon made his way over to the couch where Silesia and Millennia sat with identical looks of worry on their faces. The twins knew or suspected how good their father was in martial arts and were concerned about their aunt. Devon assured them that everything was going to be okay and nobody was going to be hurt too badly before heading off in the direction of the workout room. As their father disappeared through the door and made his way up the hall towards the expansive workout room, Millennia leaned over to her sister and commented that she hoped that their father and aunt got everything situated.

"I hope Auntie Adrienne isn't a sore loser.", said the dark chocolate skinned eleven year old to her pale skinned sister.

Silesia just nodded and waited for her father to return. She knew she'd made a mistake when she let it slip to her Aunt Adrienne and Aunt Jordan that her father, using his Ivan Wildstar alter ego, was intimately linked to Vice Foreign Minister Sylvia Rene Noelle Noventa as reported by the press. The forty-five seconds older Silesia sighed as she wondered what her father was going to do to punish her this time. Last time she'd let that information slip, he'd had her removed from the St. Gabriel's Shooting Team for one entire month causing her to miss three competitions and drop three spots in the team rankings. After that she vowed to herself to never spill that information again. Tonight, in speaking with her new-found aunts, Silesia had inadvertently broken that vow and it depressed her. Not paying much attention to her sister's words except to give a small grunt of acknowledgement, Silesia was surprised when she felt a hand on her head. Lifting her head and suppressing the tears she wanted to cry, Silesia looked up into the soft caramel eyes of her grandmother.

"Don't worry about not keeping your promise, Silesia. Information like that is supposed to be passed on to the family no matter how secret you want to keep it. Everything's going to be alright, your father's not mad. He may be disappointed at parting with the secret's he's kept for so long but he'll see that it's better for the family to know about it in the long run. Even though your Aunt Adrienne isn't a fan of V.F.M. Noventa, she'll come around to the fact that Devon is not the little boy she used to protect many years ago. Your father has grown into a strong man in the sixteen years he's been away from us. With Sylvia Noventa by his side and with you and Millennia there to support him, he'll grow into an even stronger man.", commented Brianna Tanisius as she stroked her granddaughter's hair to ease her worry and sadness.

"Thank you grandmother, I needed that.", returned Silesia as she knuckled a tear out of her eye.

"He'd better understand it, or he'll have to deal with me!", added Gwendolyn in her signature alto voice that had so frightened everyone in the room earlier.

After her words came the embarrassed and furtive clearing of throats as everyone tried to not think about the discipline of the Sabretooth being unleashed on their son. Jordan eased the tension in the room by asking the twins if they wanted to go play in the snow. Both Gwendolyn and Brianna looked at Jordan as if she were nuts and were about to comment on the idiocy of it when Leopold decided to cut in and do his patriarchal duty. Knowing that his wife would retaliate for his usurping her authority in the middle of what could be seen as a tender family moment, he told Jordan to make sure her nieces were bundled up to face the cold and to not stray too far from the main house.

"Showing the twins around will have to wait until tomorrow when it's lighter and the snow isn't coming down as bad as it is now.", he stated in his low baritone.

Jordan grinned and nodded while the twins cheered and scampered off the couch and ran to their aunt's room where they'd taken off their coats and gloves. Ignoring the non-committal look from his mother and the speculatively penetrating gaze from his wife, Leo gazed fondly at the two new wrinkles in his life as they disappeared through the door.

"Silesia Yvonne Tanisius, Millennia Denise Tanisius, I don't know if either your father or any of your aunts and uncles told you this but there is no running in this house! Do you understand?", he called gruffly down the hallway.

"Yes grandfather, we understand!!", came the chorus of the over-exuberant twins.

Leo grumbled a bit at their response but grinned when he saw Jordan shaking her head. She promised that she would remind the twins when she made it back to her room about the no running in the house rule. Jordan chuckled when she heard the '_you'd better'_ from her dad as she made her way to the entrance to the family wing of the house. Grunting in his usual way, Leo made his way over to the sliding glass door and flipped on the outdoor lights. Taking a moment to study the weather patterns, he didn't respond when he felt his wife place her hands on his shoulders and lean against his back as he stood just watching the snow fall.

Meanwhile, in the family workout room, Adrienne Nicole Tanisius was watching as her middle brother Devon secured the weights he'd requested around his wrists and ankles. Adrienne was still angry about his confidence and the fact that he was dating Sylvia Noventa, but now she revised her estimation of Devon's skills as he went through a slow warm-up workout. She lifted an eyebrow in surprise when Devon chose to not change from his outfit except to take his boots off. Adrienne knew Devon wasn't too happy about her own workout attire (a tiger striped, form fitting one piece outfit that outlined her curves extremely well) but didn't allow his disapproval to damper her own frustration.

"Adrienne can we make this quick, I have thirty minutes to be somewhere and I want to get there early so I can scope out the area. ", queried Devon as he finished up his short warm-up session and walked to the middle of the padded workout room floor.

"Why, is that Noventa woman waiting for you at Noventa Manor or is that Felicity bitch pining away for you somewhere else?", sneered Adrienne in response to her brother's inquiry.

"Although, like I told you before, whom I'm seeing or sleeping with is none of your business and I don't know why I'm even telling you this; yes Sylvia is waiting for me at my house. Before you jump to conclusions there is a reason for that. Myself and one of my superiors got into a fight today at Preventors Headquarters after I got back from another mission where I got shot. As usual I ditched my mandatory physical exam and that psycho doctor sicced the colonel on me. To top of everybody's evening, I ended up fighting that bastard to a standstill then knocked out his royal pompous ass highness with one punch. So I'm suspended for a coupe of weeks and barely missed submitting to an ordered physical exam this time when Sylvia's quick thinking kept me out of the merciless hands of Mad Quack Po. Now I don't think that the family wants the Preventors doing a DNA comparison on me and finding out who I actually am. Do you?", asked Devon as he set himself in a ready stance.

Adrienne thought for a moment and shook her head. It wouldn't due for the Preventors to find out that their number one sniper was related to the infamous Tanisius Family; the first family of assassination. Seeing that Devon was ready, his older sister asked another question. The answer slightly surprised her but she shook it off and attacked.

"Oh, Sylvia and I have been together for about four months off and on now. Our affair started the night after the fall ball. In the limo on the way home from the ball, she told me that she was had fallen in love with me.", answered Devon idly while effortlessly defending against Adrienne's skillful attacks.

The next few minutes of hand-to-hand combat were silent except for the sound of skin hitting skin, grunts of determination, and groans of pain. Adrienne watched surprised as her middle brother defended himself against each and every attack she launched against him. She'd attack his legs; he'd jump out of the way and counter. When she'd aim for his upper body he always managed to either deflect the punch or kick or swivel to take the brunt of the attack in a way it would be less injurious to his form. Adrienne now understood why Devon asked for the wrist and ankle weights. He was fast, so lightning quick with the weights on that he was matching Adrienne's speed with no problem at all.

_**"Shit, he's so fuckin' fast I almost can't see when he moves. If he didn't have those weights slowing him down, I wouldn't be able to see or defend against his attacks. Wait a minute, I just noticed that he hasn't launched an attack yet, Devon's been basically defending himself. What the hell is this?", **__mused Adrienne as their fight continued. _

Amazed at Devon's exceptional defensive skills, Adrienne was beginning to get angry that he wasn't attacking. It was as if he was taunting her, teasing her, insulting her skill. This infuriated Adrienne a bit. Next to having her hair pulled (a trait her nieces were beginning to show signs of as well), Adrienne hated having an opponent so confident that they brush her attacks off as nothing. Deciding to see if Devon was as good as he bragged, Adrienne back-flipped away from the close contact. Due to her fitness, she wasn't breathing hard, but nether was Devon. Gritting her teeth, Adrienne tried to think of a way to get Devon to attack so she could gauge his full strength and find a way to counter it.

"Are we finished yet, Adrienne, I really got to be somewhere to take care of something. I promised Sylvia that I would be back home in ninety minutes and sparring with you over something that was none of your concern in the first place is screwing up my timetable. ", grumbled Devon as he watched his sister back out of attack range.

Something clicked in Adrienne's mind and she mentally smiled as she found a way to get Devon to finally attack so she could see his true abilities. Lowering her arms and smirking at her brother, Adrienne prepared herself for the battle she knew was coming. She'd timed his speed with the weights and figured that any move he made with them she could stay ahead of. Adding in a substantial fudge factor amount of timing if Devon took off the weights, she guessed that she'd be half a second or so in front of any attack maneuver Devon would do.

"So, the great assassin known throughout the Earthsphere is afraid of being late for his late night rendezvous with the second most powerful woman on the foreign ministries? Ha, she must've taken your manhood when you accepted her as your bed partner. My brother, the so called top Preventor Sniper kept from doing his job by the whims of a flighty, little Alliance bitch! You know what, it's not just sad, it's embarrassing. I came to Earth to look for my brother who was kidnapped sixteen years ago. I find him and he's a man, a strong man except when it comes to his social life. In that, he's as weak as the four-year old boy I protected and cared for whenever somebody knocked his glasses off on our colony and teased him about his less than perfect eyesight.", stated Adrienne nastily.

Devon sighed; he knew how vindictive his sister could be. He'd expected it and loved her all the more for it but now was not the time to debate the facts. His window of time was running out and after facing an angry Sylvia today once already while dealing with his Preventors problem, he did not want to repeat the experience. Although her insistence on his taking a seat in the Jacuzzi to melt away the stress and pains from the day was a bit much, he thanked Sylvia for it.

"Adrienne, I really don't have time to face your jealousy and vindictiveness tonight. I have a target I gotta take out and I have to get Morgan and the twins back to St. Gabriel's so they can finish studying for their last final. To top it all off I've already faced an angry Noventa once already earlier today and it wasn't fun. Even though my tardiness earlier wasn't my fault, an angry Noventa is no laughing matter. If I'm late tonight, I really don't want to know what she'll plan for my tardiness this time. _ON_ top of that, my shoulder is still hurting from when I got hit by that dammed .338. Can't we just drop this for tonight?", asked Devon as he dropped his arms in exasperation.

Adrienne saw her chance and took it.

"No, we can't.", answered Adrienne before rushing in and attacking.

As a result of her sudden attack, one of her flurry of punches landed on Devon's sore shoulder. And just like in his fight with Yuy in the locker room, the arm connected to that shoulder sagged as pain raced throughout Devon's body. The extra weight brought on by the wrist weights he was wearing on that arm didn't help and just pulled the arm further down, exacerbating his pain.

_**"Dammit! Not again!! First I get hit by that dammed .338 which damn near broke my shoulder. Then that asshole Yuy punches me in the same spot with his full force, and now my sister, my own damn sister, hits the same bloody spot with her full force! Ain't this a bitch!", **__ flashed the pain filled thoughts through Devon's mind as he struggles one-handed to undo the weight on his left wrist to keep from causing any more damage to his much abused shoulder. _

Adrienne's smirk intensified as she saw and heard the weights on Devon's left wrist jangle as they fell to the floor. Keeping the smirk on her face as her brother struggled to get the weights on his right wrist using just his right hand. Her smirked turned to a frown as she heard Devon hiss in pain as his much abused left arm lifted up enough to allow his left hand to unsnap the weights on his wrist. Prepping herself for Devon's attack, Adrienne waited.

Even prepared for the attack she knew as coming, Adrienne didn't expect Devon to move so fast. In the blink of an eye, he had made it from where he was standing on the mat to right in front of her face. The first indication that something was wrong was when something impacted her chest and knocked the air out of her. Adrienne recovered from that punch in time to dodge the next one but she was still slightly out of breath when three more punches exploded along her right side. Feeling her legs start to give out, Adrienne turned her fall into a tuck and roll only to catch a kick in the back of the head that left her seeing stars. Now knowing that there was no way for her to defend against her brother, Adrienne slapped the mat three times.

Rapidly blinking her eyes to get rid of the last of the kick induced fuzziness, Adrienne felt footsteps coming her direction. When her eyes focused enough, she looked and saw that Devon was still wearing the ankle weights. It was then that she realized that Devon was justified in asking for the weights. He wanted to be slowed down enough so that it would be a fair fight. As Devon extended his right arm to help her to her feet, Adrienne had a flash of memory from back when she'd first found Devon and his actions when she'd mistaken him for an attack and had defended herself. His speed in disarming her and flipping her over his shoulder on to her back surprised her then and for the first time she realized that he was holding back even then so as not to hurt his sister.

"Damn Devon; even with the weights you're unbelievably fast. I can't believe that I doubted your abilities when you first asked for them. Even back when you first showed up here and I attacked you with the arrow, you held back? What is your style Devon, I want to know?", asked Adrienne as she felt herself pulled to her feet and fought her nausea at the sudden balance shift.

"Just like all five of us Adrienne, I have a basis in Capoeira. But I was forced to learn numerous other disciplines just to stay alive during those years of the Gundam Wars. The person who rescued me from my kidnappers taught me more styles including a deadly form of Capoeira that I have only had to use once in my twenty-one years and I hope to never have to use again. Let's just leave it at that. Now I have a favor to ask of you?", answered Devon.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"I have an assignment that is unrelated to my work for Preventors but is right up the ally of my alter ego. However I need a spotter. Could you spot for me?"

Adrienne thought about it for a second before agreeing. She told Devon to give her a chance to don the appropriate clothes and she'd spot for him. She watched as Devon nodded his thanks and headed back towards the family room, discarding his ankle weights as he did so. As she observed her brother one more time before heading to her bedroom to change into a suitable outfit, Adrienne noticed (much to her slight dismay) that Devon wasn't even breathing hard, nor was he sweating. It threw her for a minute before she shook it off. If that little work out didn't even make him break a sweat, she would hate to see something that did.

It was a bitterly cold night out and the snowfall from the approaching blizzard was coming down so hard that it was nearing white out conditions. Still Devon Tanisius sat with his right eye glued to the scope of his bolt action 6.8 caliber rifle as he waited for his target. Next to him gazing through the large spotting scope and wearing a pair of form fitting black jeans and a black turtle neck sweater over her own specially constructed body armor stood his older sister, Adrienne. Adrienne lifted her eyes from the sizeable spotting scope and rested a hand on Devon's back. Absently flicking a strand of her hair out of the way, she unconsciously rubbed her brother's sore shoulder.

"Thanks Adrienne. It was starting to stiffen up again. It's a good thing I'm ambidextrous and not left handed. If I was I'd be in deep pain once I touch off this round.", said Devon quietly.

"It's no problem, Devon. After you told me the story about what happened, I realized that I shouldn't have hit you in your sore shoulder. Especially after all that you've gone through already today.", answered Adrienne as she listened to the crackle of voices over the ear piece she wore connecting her to her parents, and her other brothers.

When it had been announced that Adrienne would accompany Devon on his hit, the family had immediately vetoed it on the grounds that if she was spotted, it would ruin her cover and she'd have to leave the running of the family businesses on Earth to either Owen (who refused on the grounds that he was busy running operations on L-4) or Morgan (Grandmother Tanisius squelched that suggestion with a glacial glance around the room before saying that Morgan's studies came first). Jordan had volunteered to accept the role if Adrienne was compromised but her parents said no and told her to concentrate on her studies on L-1 and be prepared to take over the family operations on that colony when she graduated. Everyone had looked at Devon but he'd demurred and said that he was already split between two jobs as it is.

"I'm a Preventor and I'm running Wildstar Technologies Unlimited as Ivan Wildstar. Right now, the press and everyone else think that Ivan Wildstar, the infamous recluse, is out of the country on a business trip. And I have people at those locations confirming that Mr. Wildstar is there. Since my alter ego is such a private man and a recluse, the press doesn't figure it out."

There had been a short silence before Leo and Brianna had looked at each other and decided to take control over the planet bound operations if Adrienne were compromised. Of course Gwen had negated that on principle and Devon had agreed with his grandmother about not letting the present patriarch and matriarch of the family stay on Earth and work at their business headquarters. Devon had confirmed that there was several arrest on sight warrants for Brianna and Leopold as well as the contract on their lives. In the end it had been decided that everyone except the twins (who were asleep in their father's lap during this discussion as a result of the 'doctored' milk they'd drank), Jordan (who was elected babysitter over her objections), and Grandmother Gwendolyn who said she was too old to participate in an assassination in this weather would go on this mission.

Leo and Brianna would arrive at the club (where Devon had gotten them late reservations) with a two-fold reason in mind. First to confirm that the target was there, and second to show everyone who thought they were scared of the Preventors that The Lion and The Lioness had no fear of that particular organization.. Morgan was going because he was going to be the getaway driver after the shot. Of course Morgan was ecstatic about this; it meant that he got to drive the car his brother had promised him. And Owen was chosen to go because with his expertise with silenced pistols (he'd already eliminated twelve assassins sent after him on L-4 with his trusty suppressed Beretta 93-R machine pistol) he could be the sweep up hitter if the need arose.

After assembling in three cars-Devon's MP3, Brianna and Leo's Mercedes coupe, and Owen's BMW M3 coupe- the members of the first family of assassination chosen for this hit rolled out. Devon, Adrienne, and Morgan left first to do a recon and get situated (Morgan was toting a .357 auto pistol as a backup weapon and an H&K MP5 SD just in case he was needed to 'distract' any curious passersby with evil intent While Adrienne had her brace of .45's and a Mini Uzi.. Morgan had also brought along some of his small 'special' surprises to dispense those that followed them after the hit without hurting anyone.) . They were soon followed by the luxury coupe of their parents, who'd dressed exceptionally well for the occasion. Leo wore a double breasted suit of gold where the jacket buttoned all the way up to his neck while Brianna had donned a stunning black dress that had both Jordan and Adrienne green with envy at how seductive and attractive their mother looked next to their father. Of course both were armed, Leo with a big Desert Eagle in 44. Magnum underneath his woolen trench coat while Brianna had a small Tokarev 7.62x25 caliber handgun in a garter holster on her left leg and a Micro Uzi underneath her own leather trench coat. Finally Owen's M3 left after everyone else.

Now with Adrienne and Devon waiting for the target and sitting in a building under construction that had the perfect sight line into the club the target was visiting, Devon pulled away from his rifle's scope and lifted his glasses up and rubbed his eyes. He and his sister had been in position for close to twenty minutes and Devon knew that his self-imposed time limit was running out. Sylvia had called him to tell him that she'd gotten hungry and made a few sandwiches (Devon loved it when Sylvia made sandwiches, she made them pretty large.) and would leave one in the fridge for him. It was apparent in her tone of voice that Sylvia was hungry for more than just sandwiches and his family had chuckled after Devon had finished the conversation.

"Damn, what is taking this asshole so long? It's so cold my nipples are nearly frozen.", grumbled Adrienne as she hugged her arms to her body to conserve the little warmth she had.

"Take it easy, Adrienne. He's due out soon. Mom and dad have already confirmed the target and said he was in place. Dad even talked to the guy and found out he would be leaving around this time. This is the life of a sniper sis. During the Preventor mission I returned from today, it took me three days to get into position to take one shot. Patience is a virtue in this field. Impatient snipers usually don't live long enough to learn from their mistakes.", commented Devon as he stretched his arms and turned to face Adrienne.

Hearing a chuckle over the line, Adrienne shifted the spotters' scope from where it was aimed towards the corner of the building where Owen sat in his vehicle with its tinted windows.

"You got the easy part, sister dear. I can't start my car to get the heater going even for a little bit.", commented Owen.

"Well bright eyes, get out of the car and walk around a bit to warm up. Morgan has a thermos full of coffee if you want some. Just don't be so obvious about getting it.", retorted Adrienne.

"If you want some of this coffee, Owen, I'll wait for you in the door way of the building where Tigress is. Just alert me as you approach so I don't shoot you by accident.", added Morgan from his position with the black MP3 parked in the shadows of the construction sight where the black all-wheel drive four door sedan sat idling.

Devon brought his eyes back to his scope as a part of his mind listened to Owen's acknowledgement. He started his breathing exercises to settle into his 'shooting trance' as he kept an eye on the large plate glass window on the front of the building. Adrienne watched as Devon seemed to relax and become a bit more alert. She wondered how he managed that before shaking it off and returning to the spotting scope.

Inside the club, Leo and Brianna snickered quietly as they heard the conversation between their children. Of course they couldn't say anything because of their proximity to the target but they could sure hear it. Taking a gulp from his glass of cognac, Leo grimaced. The stuff was okay but it didn't hold a candle to his personal stash at home. Beside him, Brianna snuggled up a bit closer and waved for a passing waitress in an indecently short skirt and top to request another glass of the wine she'd been enjoying. Lightly slapping her husband in the jaw as his eyes followed the waitress, Brianna whispered in his ear that she had a similar outfit buried in her luggage for their trip.

"Oh really?"

'Yes really. Now bring your attention back to the situation at hand."

"Yes dear."

Since their arrival for their reservations; the word that the assassins known as the Lion and the Lioness had flashed around the room at lightning speeds. Several men who had thought about making a pass at the beautiful woman in the black dress had changed their minds upon seeing the dark look Leo let slide around the room. A few had even gone home for the night. They didn't want to test the barrel-chested man with his arm possessively around the stunning beauty.

Brianna took a sip from her wine glass and gazed around the room. The sight of her son's target making as if to leave caught her attention and she squeezed her husband's hand to bring his attention around to see what she saw. A lifted eyebrow and a smothered growl indicated to her that Leopold had indeed seen the target as he made his goodbyes.

"Go ahead and send the signal. Tigress and the others should be waiting, love.", commented Brianna as she nibbled on her husband's earlobe.

"It's sent, now quit that. It's distracting.", stated Leo as he fought the urge to surrender to his wife's ministrations.

"No. It's been a long time since we've done something like this. Now I wanna dance and I know you want to get a good look at the shot as he takes it."

Leo grumbled again but inevitable surrendered to his wife's demands and rose from his seat to escort her out onto the dance floor. He did want to see the shot, but he didn't want to admit to his wife that she was right.

_**"And knowing her like I do, she wants to see the shot as well.", **__thought Leo as the music changed and he and his wife started dancing. _

Outside, Adrienne had gotten the signal and passed the word on to Devon. Owen had returned to his position and was watching to see if the target had any bodyguards. Sitting in his chair and breathing normally, Devon glued his eyes to the scope and unconsciously took off the safety and chambered the first of five six-point-eight caliber rounds.

"Alright I see him. He's exiting the building now. Mom and dad have moved onto the dance floor and are making their way towards the window to get a glimpse of the shot. I hope they know what to do. Doors opening, target stepping out. Alright, you're free to take the shot anytime you want Devon. I'd wait till he clears the window, you don't want your round hitting anyone in the building.", stated Adrienne emotionlessly.

Devon only grunted in acknowledgment. He knew that she was only looking out for him. Snugging the rifle to his shoulder and waiting for the right moment, Devon started to slowly squeeze his trigger. The target was oblivious to the fact that he was marked for death; his crimes against the E.S.U.N earning him a death sentence. It was ironic that the man he'd hired under false pretenses was going to fulfill his requested contract but he would never know it.

The assassin known as The Panther led his target perfectly and, as always, was surprised when the rifle bucked against his shoulder signifying that he had indeed fired. By rote, Devon worked the bolt of the rifle chambering his next round just in case a second round was needed. As it was with all the hits by his deadly alter ego, a second round wasn't needed. His target was down on the ground bleeding from the hit. It was a head shot and the target was dead before he hit the ground. With his freshly lit cigarette sizzling out in the blood red snow, the man looked at peace with himself.

Devon saw that a follow up shot wouldn't be needed and began packing up his gear. First thing he did was open and close the bolt to extract the remaining four rounds from the magazine and drop them in his pocket. Next he locked his bolt back and made sure his weapon was indeed empty before setting the safety and capping his scope. Sliding the matte black weapon in its case carefully and zipping it up, Devon helped Adrienne break down the expensive spotter's scope to its component parts and place them in their own hard shell case. Once the weapon and spotter's scope were locked away in their respective cases, Devon folded up the chair he'd been sitting in as Adrienne looked around for the shell casing that had been expended. Finding it and dropping it in the pocket of her own jacket, Adrienne waited for Devon to finish up. Outside they could hear their mother's screams as she played her part to perfection. Clasping her gloved hands together for warmth, Adrienne was surprised when Devon reached into the deep pocket of his black duster and pulled out a plastic bag with a stuffed toy in it. Looking closer she saw that it was a stuffed black panther.

"What the hell??", stammered Adrienne as she watched Devon place the toy on the window ledge.

"Too many people are going to claim this hit as their own. As usual they're going to spout all sorts of rhetoric about the murder. Knowing investigators like I do, the minute the police see the toy they're going to call in the Preventors to investigate. Once the Preventors take over the investigation, no information's going to get out about anything until they come to a conclusion. Those who claim responsibility are going to get the bullet caliber wrong so they'll get dismissed out of hand. Now when things have died down, the Panther will make a call to Preventors and correctly ID the bullet caliber and the type of rifle it came out of as well as the distance of the actual shot. Now do you get the picture?"

"Yeah, I get it now. You're leaving it for publicity."

"No, not publicity, I hate publicity. You know me better than that. You know as well as I do that once mom and dad entered the club under their own names, they were flagged by security. Now add to the fact that at the same club the Lion and Lioness visit, a body turns up outside with the signature headshot The Lion was famous for; what do you think the police are going to think as well as the Preventors? Now with this little piece of evidence here, mom and dad are in the clear and who's to say that the sniper wasn't actually gunning for mom and dad. Get it."

Now understanding why her brother had left the toy there-it was a diversion-Adrienne began to understand how tricky her brother was. Following him downstairs and careful to not leave glove prints on the equipment around her, Adrienne called for Morgan to cruise by and pick them up. Listening to the rest of the reports over the headset, Owen had already driven by and confirmed that the target was dead and was now circling around to make sure Devon, Adrienne, and Morgan got away clean. Once his three siblings were away, Owen would circle one more time and make sure his parents were okay. If they were answering questions for the police, Owen would wait for them to be released. If the Preventors arrived before Leo and Brianna could leave, he would distract the Preventors and allow his parents to escape. Everything went according to plan and thirty minutes after the hit went down, all of those involved were back at the Lions Den enjoying the last few minutes of their time together. Devon had already put his rifle in the hidden gun safe in the study while Jordan went to wake up her nieces so they could ride back to school with their father and uncle. Once the girls were again bundled up and had said their good nights and goodbyes to their new family, Morgan helped the twins into the car where both of them promptly fell back asleep.

Devon stood with his parents and grandmother at the entrance to the house as he watched his brother quietly shut the door so his daughters could continue their sleep. He turned to those next to him and promised he'd see them on Christmas on the colony. They in turn thanked him for showing up and brining and introducing his daughters to their family.

"Devon, they seem like good additions to the family. You've done a good job raising them to this point. Even with Sylvia's help, those girls are the future of our family. Though they are not of the bloodline, they are Tanisius' in their own right. Now don't forget Adrienne's wedding in February. She's put it off long enough and her fiancée is getting frantic. You'll get to meet him when you arrive on the colony.", commented his mother as she wrapped him up in a hug.

"As soon as Owen does the right thing and we get him married off to Fatima Winner, I want you to start thinking about your own wedding. I hope you realize that though I am happy you are alright I don't condone your living with Sylvia Noventa while neither of you are married to each other. I know you say that you two are only living like that together on the weekends but still, do the right thing grandson.", commented Gwendolyn gruffly while trying to keep from letting loose her own tears.

"We'll see grandmother. You stop holding my kidnapping against Adrienne and I'll possibly see about it."

Devon turned to face his father to see what he had to say. Leopold just looked at his son with a barely suppressed sense of pride in his eyes. Raising one of his large hands, he placed it on Devon's head and ruffled the short hair that sat on Devon's head.

"You be careful and take care of yourself. Next time we're on Earth you'll have to show us this apartment of yours and this house you're sharing with the vice foreign minister on the weekends. Like your grandmother said, do the right thing when it comes time for it. We'll talk some more while you're on the colony. Oh yeah, and I hope you bring you and your daughters appetite. You know your mom and grandmother are gonna cook up a whole mess of food for your return to the family estate. I already know that a big party is in the preliminary stage of being planned for your return. You just make it up there. Morgan or Adrienne will supply you with the codes you need to get past the security force."

"Alright Dad, I hate to leave like this but I made a promise to Sylvia to be back in ninety minutes. By the time I make it home with the weather as bad as it is I may be pushing my time table a bit. I have to go for now and I'll see you in a couple of weeks.", commented Devon as he hugged his parents and grandparents and headed down to his car

With a wave, Devon climbed into his black vehicle and started the engine. Turning the car around in the driveway, Devon and Morgan waved at their family as they stood gathered on the porch. The family continued waving until the black car disappeared down the drive and out into the night. As it vanished from sight, those left behind started to make their way into the house until Adrienne Nicole Tanisius and her grandmother Gwendolyn stood there watching the snow fall and the listening to the wind blow.

"Adrienne."

"Yes grandmother?"

"Your brother's become an extraordinary man."

"Yes he has grandmother. I guess sixteen years away from his family caused him to grow up quicker than the rest of us."

"Let's go inside, young lady. We can talk about that day. And Adrienne?"

"Yes grandmother.

"I stopped blaming his kidnapping on you years ago. You can stop wincing when I'm around and somebody brings up that topic."

Adrienne gazed in surprised at her grandmother as the seventy-eight year old woman strolled inside the house where the rest of the family beckoned. Shaking her head at the older woman's words, Adrienne wiped a tear out of her eye and looked up to the sky. Closing her eyes and saying a short prayer. She thanked God for bringing her family back together tonight, even if it was only for a short time.

"Thank you god for bringing us back together the way we were sixteen years ago. We've all grown and gone on our own paths but now we know that we will always have family to fall back on. Please keep my brother Morgan, my nieces Silesia and Millennia, and especially my long lost but now found brother Devon safe. I want to see them all again on our home colony. For then it will be a true homecoming; for all of us. Amen.", prayed Adrienne as she had been taught when she was little and meeting her younger siblings one by one on the days they were born and brought home to meet the family.

And like she was taught in Sunday school, Adrienne ended her own prayer of thanks with the Lord's Prayer as she'd been taught and which she still said to this day. Opening her eye and looking at the sky, Adrienne sighed in happiness, then the eldest daughter of Leopold and Brianna Tanisius; Adrienne Nicole Tanisius, twenty-five years of age, an accomplished assassin, and a soon to be married successful businesswoman entered the house where the rest of her family waited.

With around fifteen minutes left before his internal timer ran out and he was over his allowed ninety minutes, Devon-again attired in the eye patch over his right eye-pulled through the gates to St. Gabriel's Institute. Pulling up to the girls' dormitory, Devon tapped his brother on the shoulder and woke him up from his light doze and indicated the two sleeping girls in the back seat.

"Go inside and see if you can find anyone to help get these two sleepy heads upstairs to their room. They still have a final to study for tomorrow and I know Adrienne and Jordan kept them busy. I also know that mom dearest slipped something in their milk like she used to do to us when we were younger. Once they are inside and situated I'll return you to your dorm.", commented Devon.

"Okay brother dear. Give me a minute.", muttered Morgan only to feel a slap against the back of his head before he could exit the car.

"Idiot, remember where we are. Next time you slip up it won't be a slap you get. Now go see if anyone is inside the lobby.", hissed Devon as he glared at his younger brother.

Morgan nodded and apologized as he exited the car he was soon to inherit and made his way to the lobby of the girls' dorm. Opening the door and stepping in to the lobby, Morgan wasn't surprised to see Aziza Barkari, Jasmine Adjani, Theresa Blackmon, Yomiko Davenport, and Marimaia Khushrenada sitting in the lobby chatting with each other. He'd seen Aziza Barkari as he was sitting in the car waiting for his nieces to show up and knew that his meeting with the mysterious Ivan Wildstar was going to get back to her friends. He was a bit confused as why Mari was there but waved it off as a yawn threatened to overtake him. Going up to the group of girls he asked if any of them could help get the Wildstar Twins to their room.

"The Wildstars are family friends and Mr. Wildstar wanted to me to join him when he took his daughters out to eat. Then we hung out at his place for a bit where the girls fell asleep and headed back here. And no before you ask, Vice Foreign Minister Noventa wasn't there.", stated Morgan by way of an explanation and added the last bit when the eyes of Davenport started to get wide in preparation for asking a question.

Aziza Barkari didn't believe Morgan's explanation for a minute but she played along and got a reluctant Marimaia to help with the twins. Exiting the dorm and making her way down the stairs, Aziza headed around to the far side of the small car so that Mari and Morgan were stuck with each other on the near side and had to converse to avoid an awkward silence. Both Morgan and Marimaia glared at Aziza to no avail. Aziza was busy in conversation with the dashingly handsome one-eyed Ivan Wildstar. Marimaia spoke first.

"Morgan are you going to the End of Semester Bash?", asked Mari quietly.

"Yeah, Mr. Wildstar asked me to escort his daughters. I guess he feels that since he knows me pretty well, I'm responsible enough to do the right thing.", answered Morgan as he tried to ignore the confusing vibe he was getting from Marimaia.

Marimaia sighed in relief, now she didn't have to worry about Aziza pulling a fast one on her. Glancing at the young man next to her out of the corner of her eye, the young Khushrenada Duchess noticed that Morgan was dressed in nearly all black. As she was taking this in, a part of her mind salivated over how Morgan's black jeans looked as if they'd been poured over his lithe athletic frame. Another part of her brain idly speculated that the jeans must been a couple of years out of style than the jeans the boys at the Institute wore now when they weren't in uniform. Shaking her head to eliminate the treacherous thoughts present in her young fifteen year old mind, Marimaia concentrated on helping her teammate Millennia exit the car. She knew the twins had their room a few floors below hers where the rest of the girls in their age group and grades also lived. Once the younger girl was standing on her own two feet and trying to wipe the sleep out of her eyes, Marimaia heard Mr. Wildstar thank her for her help.

"Duchess Khushrenada could you make sure that Silesia and Millennia make it to their room? I would do it myself but I understand the rules the dorm has for male visitors after a certain time. I greatly appreciate your helping them with their team work and mentoring them with their school work. On occasion, you are all they talk about when I am able to spend some time with them at home. Thank you again. Now I must get this young man over to his dorm because he looks as if he needs his sleep as well.", stated Devon in the thickly accented voice of his alter ego.

"It is of no consequence Mr. Wildstar. Your daughters are in good hands here at St. Gabriel's and us older girls staying in the dorm try and help our younger dorm mates achieve their educational dreams without too many distractions. I consider Silesia and Millennia as more than just teammates; I consider them friends as well. Have a good night sir, and drive safely. The storm may get worse before the night is through.", answered Marimaia as she ignored the look of annoyance from Aziza on the other side of the car where she was helping Silesia in the direction of the dormitory door.

Mari watched as the twins embraced their father and waved to Morgan Tanisius before he climbed back into the car with Mr. Wildstar. Returning his wave with one of her own, much to her embarrassment and Aziza's delight, Marimaia watched the small car as it pulled out of the driveway and headed in the direction of the boys dorm across campus. Minutes later, Marimaia Khushrenada and her friend Aziza Barkari closed the door to the Wildstar's room. The two girls had been so tired that they didn't even change their clothes and just flopped onto the twin beds and drifted off to sleep.

Over at the boys' dorm, Devon was wishing his younger brother a good night and trying to hurry home. He had around five minutes before his promise to the warm and exotic woman waiting at home for him was officially broken. Devon glanced at his watch again and cursed to himself. Morgan heard the curse and grinned. He was tired as well but he wasn't so tired that he couldn't tease his older brother for a few minutes. Putting a respectful look on his face, Morgan turned to glance at his brother and raised a hand in acknowledgement.

"Now around what time will you be at my residence to pick up my daughters for the End of Semester Bash, Mr. Tanisius?", asked Devon.

"I will be there promptly be there at 7 pm to pick up the young Mistresses Silesia and Millennia. I also promise to have them back home no later than 11:00 pm Mr. Wildstar.", replied Morgan with a barely noticeable hint of humor in his voice.

Devon nodded and climbed into his car as Morgan headed into the dorm. Taking one last look at his brother through his uncovered left eye, Devon muttered to himself before starting the engine and pointing the vehicle in the direction of his house.

Sylvia awaited his presence.

Lying on the couch wrapped in his warm soft woolen blanket, Sylvia Rene Noelle Noventa, Thirteenth Baroness of the Noventa Barony awaited her love and her lover. It was nearing the time Devon had said he'd be back as she glimpsed the clock hanging on the wall. According to her internal count and the count of the ticking clock, Devon had less than five minutes to pull up into the driveway and return to her warm embrace.

_**"He'll be here, Sylvia. Don't you worry! He's always come on time before.", **__thought Sylvia as she blushed at the unintended double entendre voiced by her subconsicousness. _

"Yeah, my Devon is consistent when it comes to being on time.", giggled Sylvia to herself as she chastised her subconscious for it's crass attempt at gutter humor.

To laugh at herself felt good. It hadn't been a day for laughs_, _Sylvia was sure of that. She cast her eyes over towards the little piece of Foreign Ministry Technology she'd carelessly tossed on the couch when they'd arrived home. Sylvia had deigned to check it after Devon had left and was astounded at the increasingly angry voice of her superior while an irate Sally nattered on about 'A Lovers Conspiracy', unwilling teammates, and a Romeo and Juliet complex in the background as Ms. Relena tried to keep calm and ask for an explanation for her deputies' actions. Sylvia gave the warm house a wicked smile as an impressive tirade from Dr. Po ended with _'And who knows what the hell those two are doing now'. _

"Who knows indeed? At least I know what I _**wanted **_to be doing now and we would _**have**_ been doing what I wanted if you hadn't stuck your infernal medical nose into things that are none of your damn business, my dear Doctor Po.", cackled Sylvia with an unashamed glee.

Clearing all of the messages and calls from her communicator and replacing it on the coffee table, where she'd put it after entering the sitting room wrapped in the blanket that smelled of him; of them, and their hidden intimacies in this house.

Hearing a car pull into the driveway and enter the garage, Sylvia risked a look at the clock and saw that there was less than a minute before Devon's promised return home was marred by tardiness. Hoping against hope, Sylvia kept one glued to the clock while the other was glued to the door. With five seconds to go in his self-imposed 'return time', the familiar head of short black hair and the chiseled-but weary-body appeared in the doorway. On the face she loved to caress as he slept was a wry grin.

"I told you I'd be back in ninety minutes and here I am. Ninety minutes after I left, I've returned; returned to be with you and your strawberry-coated lips. As I was coming up the stairs, all I thought about was the way you move your hips and the way you stroke my face with tender fingers when you think I'm asleep.", said Devon in a voice tinged with lust….and something else he wasn't ready to admit to yet.

"Then come here and let my strawberry-coated lips welcome you home.", replied Sylvia in the same tone of voice as she opened the blanket wide and moved her hips in the suggestive way he so loved.

Devon slowly stepped across the room and embraced the woman who loved him unconditionally and let her lips claim his as she allowed her gentle fingers to stroke his face in the soft tender way they did when she thought he was asleep. Still lip locked, Devon reached down and swept Sylvia off of her feet and carried her into the bedroom. Allowing her to tell him what she wanted by nibbling on his lips, Devon let her nibbled instructions lead them to the still warm Jacuzzi he'd left earlier. She wanted to finish the night the same way it had begun.

Not paying attention when the blanket slipped from her hands and puddled on the floor, Devon set Sylvia down on her feet and let her take control as she gently, lovingly undressed her dark warrior. Once he was down to nothing but the skin he was born in, she stepped back to take in the view as Devon stood there in all of his masculine glory. Observing Devon as he watched her, Sylvia slipped out of the shimmery satin Lapis Lazuli bikini panties and matching top and let them slither down her slender legs and stood in front of him: everything bare for him to see. From the crown of her head, to her heart shaped face. From the stretch of her aquiline and aristocratic neck to the soft swells of her 32C cup breasts all the way down to her flat and toned stomach. From her stomach, Sylvia watched as Devon's eyes traced up her legs and the outline of her sex covered in the same soft tawny blonde that crowned her head.

"Are you ready for me, Mon Chevalier Noir Affectueux?", whispered Sylvia as she took a sensuous step upon dainty feet towards the naked man now sitting in the Jacuzzi.

"Yes, mi amour. I am ready for you, La Mia Principessa Eterea DellAvorio!", returned Devon in a similar whisper.

Sylvia nodded and slowly approached the marble tub and stepped in. Once fully engulfed in the warm burbling water, Sylvia allowed the strong arms of her Chevalier Noir to encompass her and floated away on the warmth they promised.

(_Author's note__:_ _Mon Chevalier Noir Affectueux French My Loving Black Night_

_La Mia Principessa Eterea DellAvorio Italian My Eternal Ivory Princess)_

Neither Devon nor Sylvia paid attention to snow storm raging outside their window. They only had a long enough attention span for each other and the delights that followed.

_**December 25, A.C. 20. 4:25 AM Tanisius Family Colony**_

It was early Christmas morning and Devon Tanisius found himself piloting a shuttle. He was used to it though; there were many Christmases where he found himself doing a similar activity. The only difference this time was that he was piloting one of the Tanisius Security Technologies LTD Executive Shuttles and it was returning him to the colony of his conception (all of the Tanisius children were conceived on the colony but born on Earth). Another difference was that in the back of the shuttle enjoying the entertainment center were Devon's own two precocious eleven-year old daughters. Gritting his teeth, Devon contacted the controller who'd volunteered to man shuttleport control for the holiday.

"Tanisius Colony Control, this is T.S.T Limited Executive Shuttle Three Alpha requesting landing clearance and directional vectors to Gate One-Zulu upon touch down."

"Shuttle Three Alpha, Colony Control, you're cleared to land through air lock Echo but at this time I can not give you a vector to Gate One-Zulu. That's a classified sector off limits to all visitors. Only those with the correct codes can dock there.", came the laconic reply from the bored volunteer.

"Colony Control, Shuttle Three Alpha. I have the codes needed."

"Three Alpha, Colony Control. Give me the codes and I will see if you are cleared for Gate One-Zulu."

"Colony Control, that's a negative. You do not have the clearance. These codes are from Tango Prime."

The bored controller jerked his head away from the silly Christmas television show he was watching and shifted his attention to the shuttle that was appearing on his radar. Contacting the security crews who could visually identify the shuttles and getting confirmation that it was indeed one of the Tanisius Security Technologies LTD Executive shuttles', the controller twisted his head to check the roster of the family members who were supposed to already be on the colony.

_**"Tanisius Prime and Tanisius Prime Alpha are already here. As are Alpha-November, Oscar-Romeo, Juliet-Victor, and Mike-Romeo. Of those only, Tango-Prime and Tango Prime Alpha can issue the correct codes. Now here I have somebody claiming he has the codes from Tango Prime to dock his shuttle at the gate that leads straight to the family compound. What the hell is going on here?", **__thought the controller._

Clearing his throat, he called the shuttle back and informed its pilot that he'd have to get authorization from his supervisor. The pilot wasn't having any of it.

"Colony Control, Shuttle Three-Alpha., you've got to be shitting me? You've already given me clearance to land; you've had your security forces check my shuttle out visually and probably with sensors as well and then have to call your supervisor for authorization to let somebody _**WITH **_the correct codes from Tango Prime himself dock at that gate I requested. What do you think would happen to you if a member of the family were aboard and heard your pathetic excuse for not letting them return home?", snapped Devon.

"Sir, all of the primaries are presently aboard the colony at this moment. Therefore none of the family members would be arriving in around this time. Now if you will excuse me sir, I still have to get authorization from my supervisor. Colony Control out.", retorted the controller as he shut off his microphone.

The controller was looking for the number to call his supervisor and inform him of the moronic shuttle pilot trying to dock his shuttle at the family shuttle gate. To cover his ass, he also searched for the number to the head of the security forces. Who knew what enemies of the Tanisius Family would do to get a shot at them? Hearing the dignified clearing of a throat behind him, the controller angrily spun his seat around to face the newcomer to the room only to jump up as he saw the soft brown eyes of the former head of the family staring at him.

"Ye… ye… yes Mrs. Gwendolyn? How may I help you?", the nervous controller stammered as seventy-eight year old Gwendolyn 'Sabretooth' Tanisius entered the space.

Gwen had awoken earlier and wanted to spend some time alone in the morning before the rest of the family woke up and Christmas started in earnest. Going for a jog she'd got to thinking and lost track of where she was until she found herself at the shuttle port. With her ID card clipped to her sweatshirt so everyone on duty could see that she had one of the three highest security clearances on the colony. No one was going to stop her from going anywhere she damn well pleased. Gwendolyn had arrived outside the controller's office seconds before he shut off the microphone connecting him to the approaching shuttle. Now on the other colonies this was considered to be a career-ending offense but on the Tanisius Family colony, it was considered a security measure. Entering the office quietly to see what the fuss was all about, Gwendolyn saw the controller flipping though the contact information books for the head of the security team and the head controller. Wondering what was going on, she cleared her throat.

"Is there anything wrong?", asked Gwen in a deceptively calm voice.

"No Ma'am. Nothing's wrong!"

"Then why are you cursing to yourself and what's the deal with the shuttle on final approach?"

"The shuttle says he has a clearance code from Tanisius Prime for Gate One-Zulu. Of course I don't believe him and want to get authorization from my supervisor before allowing him to land. Upon landing I was going to have a team of security meet the pilot and find out how he got a code directly from Tanisius Prime."

Gwendolyn praised the controller for his quick thinking and was a bit curious about the occupants of the approaching shuttle herself. Picking up a spare set of headphones, she signaled the controller to reopen the channel and act as if he was still trying got find his supervisor to get his authorization. Watching the shuttle as it made a perfect three-point landing, she told the controller to go ahead and pass on her words.

"Shuttle Three Alpha, Colony Control. I'm still looking for my supervisor.", stated the controller.

Gwendolyn listened as the pilot of the shuttle cut loose with a furious stream of angry words in the native language of the Tanisius Family. There was something in the voice that sounded familiar to her and she was trying to figure it out when the pilot calmed down enough to grudgingly accept the situation.

"Alright Colony Control, just get this fuck-up straightened out as soon as possible. I have someplace to be."

"Yes sir. I'll get back to you."

The controller made to cut off the microphone again when Gwendolyn told him to wait. She was listening to the voices in the background. It was then that recognition hit and she hurriedly yanked her headphones off and whirled snake quick on the controller.

'Give the pilot immediate permission to taxi to his requested gate!", hissed Gwendolyn

"But Mrs. Gwendolyn….", started the controller until he saw the look of raw fury in her face.

"Do you see the color classification on this badge of mine? It means that if Tanisius Prime or Tanisius Prime Alpha isn't here, I'm in control. Next to those two, I have the highest security clearance on this colony. Now give them their clearance and forget everything about that shuttle."

"Yes ma'am.", answered the suddenly cowed controller.

In the shuttle cockpit, Devon was trying to calm his twins down when the controller came back up on the frequency.

"T.S.T Limited Executive Shuttle Three Alpha, Tanisius Colony Control. I just got authorization. You're cleared in to Gate One-Zulu. Welcome to the Colony and Merry Christmas.", stated the controller in a normal tone of voice.

Devon was too polite to acknowledge the subdued undertone he'd heard coming from the controller. He would just smirk instead.

"Thank you Tanisius Colony Control. Merry Christmas to yourself and it's good to be back home, Tanisius Security Technologies LTD, Executive Shuttle Three Alpha, out.", replied Devon politely before using the nose wheel steering mechanism in the shuttle to point it in his desired direction.

Fifteen minutes later, Devon was shutting down the shuttle and switching over to the ground-based power unit. Exiting the flight deck after he made sure the switch over went alright and everything that needed to stay on was using the electricity from the GPU instead of the onboard electrical supply. Closing the door behind him, Devon looked at his twin daughters. They looked back, nervous at being on the colony their family owned (the twins had been extremely surprised to find out that their new family was wealthy enough to own it's own colony even if the family was paying the Winner Corporation a substantial amount of their gross profits to keep the colony) and excited at seeing their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and great-grandmother again. Dressed in matching similar dresses and shined shoes, Silesia and Millennia looked solemn.

"Come on you two, let's go surprise our family. I know you can't wait to give them the gifts you've selected for everybody. ", stated Devon with a smile.

His smile was infectious and soon the father–daughters trio was happily trooping down the stairs, across the durasteel ramp area, and into the private arrival area of the colony that led directly to the family dwelling. Midway to their destination, the trio ran into Gwendolyn Tanisius. The twins took one look and ran into the open and waiting arms of their great-grandmother. Devon smiled warmly as his daughters started conversing with Gwendolyn and letting her known what had happened since the last time they'd seen each other. Gwendolyn grinned and pointed the twins in the direction they needed to go.

"Ssshhh, be quiet though, everyone else is asleep. If you can, quietly place your gifts under the tree and wait till you're father and I get there.", admonished Gwendolyn kindly.

"We'll be quiet gran-gran. We promise!", exclaimed the elder of the twins as her younger sister led the way down the carpeted hallway.

Devon waited till his grandmother finished watching the twins disappear in the distance. He didn't say anything when she turned to face him while wiping a tear or two from her penetrating grey eyes that gazed softly on him as he stood there self-consciously in his black double-breasted suit sans necktie but with the gleaming black diamond stud in his ear.

"Merry Christmas Grandmother, it's been a long time since I was last here.", murmured Devon.

"Yes it has, grandson. Indeed it has a long time since you last graced these halls. A long time and many, many pairs of glasses ago.", returned Gwendolyn in a choked voice.

Devon grinned at the comment about glasses. There wasn't a time when he played among these halls when he was younger that he didn't break his glasses. It angered his family to no end but Adrienne always stood up for him and eventually he'd get another pair (and another admonishment about breaking said new pair of glasses). Devon let his grandmother hug him close before telling her he had to prepare the baggage handlers for some of the cargo that was preparing to be unloaded from the shuttle.

"What kind of cargo did you bring Devon?", asked Gwendolyn while looking at her grandson suspiciously.

"Only the Christmas gifts for the rest of the family. You want a sneak peak at what everyone's going to get?", answered Devon.

Curious as well as intrigued by Devon's answer, Gwendolyn nodded and followed Devon back up through the hallway to where it opened out on the shuttle where the colony grounds crew (a group of several lesser Tanisius Family members and those who'd been given permission to live on the colony to work). Devon walked up as five of the employees were manhandling a huge holed crate that looked a lot like the kind of container zoos used to transport animals from one zoo to another. Devon took a look in the crate and nodded before turning to the supervisor and asking if there was a large secured area on the family property that could hold what the container held caged within its depths.

"Yes sir, there is. But why do you ask? "

Devon sighed and motioned for another crewman to bring him the large cooler he was placing on a flatbed trailer for transport. The employee did as was requested of her and brought the cooler over. Devon opened the top, looked inside, and snatched the first thing he saw. It turned out that the cooler was stocked full of extremely large steaks that had been put on ice. Devon held the piece of meat up to the front of the cage and told each of the groundcrew to stand back.

"Grandmother, come here. This is Adrienne's present.", stated Devon as something with large claws swiped at the fresh steak meat held tantalizingly in front of the cage.

Devon yanked the meat just out of reach of the fast moving claw and everyone in the vicinity was treated to a loud roar of hunger and annoyance. As the claw retracted, a menacing face with eyes like coal narrowed to mere slits glared at the person keeping the steak out of her reach. Devon listened to the large cat growl again before relenting and tossing her the steak. When he was sure the beast was happily munching on the proffered food, Devon reached up and opened the door to the cage. Those surrounding the cage gasped in exclamation as a majestic orange and black striped full grown tigress made her way out of the cage with her prize locked between her strong fangs. When the tiger had completely exited the cage and was lying on the ground engrossed with her rapidly disappearing meal, Devon came over from her side and clipped a rope to the ring hanging from the cat's jeweled collar. Once the leash was secure and Devon grasped the end in a firm grip, he turned to those gathered around and witnessing his demonstration.

"Now do you see why I asked about the large space on the family property and for everyone to stand back? Good, now I want one of you to take a firm grip on this leash and lead her there when she finishes her meal. As long as the collar is around her neck, she'll be as docile as a housecat. Once the collar is removed, she, like all five of the others in the cages reverts to her natural state. For everyone's safety, only the owners will be able to take off and put on the collars. In laymen's turns, I guess what I trying to say is _'don't think about messing with the collars'_! You understand?", asked Devon of those around.

Receiving their awestruck nods, Devon handed the leash off to the man who'd volunteered to take the cat off of his hands and walk it over to a temporary holding area. The tableau held as Devon fed and released five other large cats in succession: an old lion, a lioness, a cougar, a mountain lion, and a cheetah that nearly scratched Devon as he held the tantalizing steak in front of the cage. The sniper fell back as everyone laughed at him now that they'd calmed down a bit.

"She must be really irritated for riding in that cage for several hours. I think it's going to take two steaks to appease her anger.", joked Devon as his grandmother shook her head.

"You're an idiot. My idiot grandson.", replied Gwendolyn.

"Yes, ma'am.", replied Devon.

A few minutes later, all of the luggage and cargo had been unloaded and the groundcrew had left to spend their Christmases with their families. As a gift for helping him unload on a day that was set aside for rest, relaxation, and spending time with ones family, Devon gave each of the ground crew a five thousand dollar check for their trouble. Devon even had somebody run a check for the same amount up to the bored man in the colony's shuttle control center. Once it was only him and his grandmother standing by the now empty shuttle, Devon disappeared into the cabin. Gwendolyn watched in amazement as he returned with two gleaming black panthers with similar jeweled collars on a pair of snow white leashes. As her grandson and the two predators approached, Gwendolyn heard Devon speaking to the two cats in a combination of their native language and a repertoire of growls and purrs that calmed the pair of agitated beasts down. Approaching his grandmother, Devon handed one of the leashes to her and together they re-entered the family homestead.

In the master bedroom of the Tanisius Mansion, Brianna Etienne Tanisius untangled her arms and legs from where they'd become entangled with the bare-chested man sleeping in his usual spot. Sitting up and stretching, Brianna cast a sleep-filled gaze at her husband and gently ran a well-manicured finger across the primitive tribal tattoo of a lion etched into the dark skin on the left side of his chest. Tracing the mark and the scars from his long career as a professional assassin, Brianna smiled softly. After nearly thirty years of marriage, her husband was still as handsome as he had been. In Brianna's opinion Leopold Tanisius looked handsomer now with distinguished and aristocratic strands of grey interspaced throughout the curly black hair he always kept cut short. Feeling a sudden pressure in her bladder, Brianna bent down and kissed the tattoo before sliding out of the bed and heading for the massive master bathroom. She didn't get far as her husband's large hands grabbed her and she found herself wrapped up in one strong muscular arm.

"Come on Leo, let go of me, I gotta go take care of a pressing problem.", squealed Brianna as those long and gentle fingers commenced to tickling her senseless.

"What, you expect me to let you kiss and run, baby? I think not. You've gotta pay for waking me up from a good dream that way. Although it felt good, I wanted to sleep a little bit longer with dreams about our ski-trip.", chuckled the deep baritone of Leopold 'The Lion' Tanisius.

Brianna suppressed a grin. They'd spent more time making love than skiing on that trip. Of course, she'll remember the night she woke up with a sudden urge to go skiing on the master trail at two in the morning. It had taken her a considerable amount of time to convince Leo to accompany her but when he realized that she hadn't planned on wearing anything while skiing; he agreed to join her most hastily. The pressure on her bladder signaled to her again. Even though a Christmas morning quickie would do her wonders, Brianna put that thought out of her mind and squirmed out of Leo's grip.

"Leo, I gotta use the bathroom. Give me a few minutes and I'll be right back. Okay hon."

"Alright, love but hurry back.", griped Leo good-naturedly.

Brianna laughed as her husband pouted and pressed a quick kiss to his nose before dashing off to relieve her bladder.

Leo lustily watched Brianna's topless and svelte form as she ran off to answer the call of nature. When the door closed, Leo crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back against the massive oak headboard of their king-sized bed. Closing his eyes and remembering the bounce of Brianna's perfectly proportioned 34C cup breasts, her full figure, and her firm ass, Leo sighed in regret. It was Christmas morning and he and his wife weren't going to be able to recommence the activities from the night before. Before he could dwell on that thought, Leo heard a whistle coming from the partially opened bathroom door. Opening his eyes and turning his head towards the sound, the patriarch of the Tanisius family was greeted by the sight of his now naked wife holding her pajama bottoms up by one finger and beckoning to him with another, crooked finger. Leo suddenly found out that he couldn't breathe as gazed upon the perfection leaning provocatively against the door.

"Are you going to come and join me big boy? You know we have to save water on our colony.", purred Brianna.

"Save water, right.", croaked out Leo as he saw the primitive tribal tattoo of a lioness etched in relief on Brianna's left breast as her slow and heavy breathing made it seem as if the lioness was alive and stalking its prey.

Quickly throwing the sheets off of his form and making his way to his calmly waiting wife, Leo only stopped to slip out of his own pajama pants and make his way to Brianna, joining her as she left the thin cotton pants dangling from her finger drop to the floor. Leo rejoiced as he swept his wife up in to his arms and felt her melt against them as he captured her pouting full lips with his own before carrying Brianna back into the bathroom where, for the first time he became aware of the calm running waterfall that was their shower. If anyone was listening at the closed door to the master bedroom, they would've have heard the laughter of a couple in love as they shared their shower.

One room down from the massive master suite, Adrienne Nicole Tanisius groaned when she heard the familiar laughter coming from her parent's bathroom. She knew that if she didn't get out of bed now and go to the other side of the suite of rooms she shared with her sister; she wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep as the sound of her parent's confirming their love started to reach a crescendo. Jamming one of her thick pillows on the top of her head to block out the sounds, Adrienne cursed to herself.

"Dammit, they sound like a couple of teenagers each time they do that!", griped the oldest of the Tanisius' offspring.

When her mother's passion filled shrieks reached a high note, Adrienne grumbled again and tossed the pillow away while trying to blatantly ignore the fact that when she was with her fiancé, she sounded almost exactly the same (Both Jordan and Brianna had sneakily recorded Adrienne the night of her twenty-fifth birthday when Adrienne's fiancé had stopped by to celebrate. Needless to say, Leopold, Owen, and Morgan didn't know about that tape). Griping loudly to herself as her mom's cries of passion diminished into girlish giggles intermixed with the deep baritone chuckles of her father, Adrienne threw her covers off and slipped out of bed. Going to the mirror over the sink in the bathroom she shared with Jordan, Adrienne shook her head as she saw the bags underneath her eyes at her lack of sleep. Adrienne had been up late wrapping presents and didn't get to sleep until almost three o'clock in the morning. Glancing at the tiger clock sitting on her nightstand (she'd had it ever since she was five), the Tigress saw that it was nearing seven o'clock in the morning. Adrienne decided that since she wasn't going to be able to sleep in, it'd be better if she went ahead and took a bath.

"Maybe I'll be able to catch a few extra minutes of sleep as I sit in the tub. It's Christmas, nobody will begrudge me a few extra minutes.", said Adrienne to herself as she began to run the water for her bath and divest herself of the pink silk lounging pants and matching white cotton tank top she'd slept in.

Once the water in the large marble tub that could seat two was high enough, Adrienne sighed as she climbed in and leaned back against the side of the tub. Reaching out a hand to the controls for the waterproof radio installed in the wall, Adrienne turned on the radio, found an easy-listening station, and relaxed. Her moment of introspection was interrupted when the door to the bathroom opened and Jordan Victoria Tanisius stepped in.

"Oh sorry, Adrienne I didn't know you were awake.", apologized Jordan as she saw her sister sitting calmly in the tub.

"It's no problem, Jordan. Mom and Dad woke me up again, as usual, when they ended up taking a shower together.", replied Adrienne as she observed her sister's full-figured and naked body.

"They're at it again? Damn, they have more sex than I do. Of course I won't begrudge them for it. As you know, when their happy and satisfied, everything is easier for us.", returned Jordan as she tried to hide her slight jealousy at her older sister's form.

Now for some odd genetical reason, while Adrienne got their mother's height and long legs, she ended up with smaller breasts (28C cup). Jordan didn't get Brianna's height but she more than made up for it with her mother's bust (32C cup). The two girls could never agree who got the better end of the deal and Brianna had flatly rejected (upon pain of death) for either of them to even think about breast surgery. Both girls sighed and Adrienne slid over and patted the seat next to her.

"Come in and join me in the tub Jordan. I believe that by the end of the day we'll both be thankful for this little interlude.", commented Adrienne as she closed her eyes again.

Nineteen year old Jordan Victoria Tanisius just nodded her thanks and made her way to the tub and climbed into the water. Once in the warm and rose-scented water, Jordan sighed and stretched.

"At least we can agree that this music is the best kind of music to listen to as you sit relaxing in a tub.", chuckled Jordan.

A snort was her only reply, so Jordan imitated her sister and closed her eyes and let the music take her away. If their mother had been around with her trusty camera, she would've had been able to take the perfect picture of her two daughters in an extremely rare moment of peace as they silently communed with each other, the music, and the warm water. Of course, Brianna wouldn't have been a true Tanisius if she couldn't find a way to use the picture to her advantage but since the Tanisius Matriarch was otherwise occupied at the present time, the photogenic moment in time was lost.

Ten minutes after first climbing into the tub, Jordan heard her sister ask her a question.

"Jordan, could you do me a favor and wash my hair for me, it's kind of hard to do sometimes?", asked Adrienne as she turned on the water to fill a bucket that had been sitting beside the marble bath tub.

"Sure Addy, I will wash yours if you wash mine? Want me to scrub your back for you also?"

"Yeah, a good back scrub would do wonders for me. I'll wash your hair and scrub your back when you're finished with mine. And Victoria…"

"I know. I know, don't call you Addy.", chuckled Jordan.

"No, you can call me Addy only when we're sharing the tub.", replied Adrienne with a laugh.

The two sisters laughed together as Adrienne turned around in the tub to allow her sister access to her pride: her longer than shoulder-length brown hair now presently secured with only a gold hair scrunchie. Jordan snorted in appreciation as she fingered Adrienne's soft hair before pouring half of the water in the pail Adrienne had filled up gently over her head. Once the brown locks were suitably wet, Jordan poured a respectable sized dollop of Adrienne's favorite shampoo into the palm of her hands and rubbed them together to create a rose scented lather. Using her fingers to comb the latter in as she massaged Adrienne's head, Jordan began humming a soft melody her sister had taught her years ago when Jordan was around 5 years old and an eleven year old Adrienne was teaching Jordan how to wash her own hair.

With her eyes closed and relaxing in the rejuvenating touch of her sister, Adrienne heard the familiar song and laughed to herself. She remembered that day as well if not better than Jordan did. Remembering the situation, Adrienne opened her eyes and tried to turn her head to face Jordan but was gently restrained from doing so by Jordan's hands.

"Don't do that Addy. I don't want to get shampoo in your eyes. You know as well as I do that you hate getting any kind of soap in your eyes.", commented Jordan as she finished lathering her sister's hair and started to wash Adrienne's back.

"Yeah, I know. I just remembered what day it was when I taught you that song. It was on Morgan's third birthday and you wanted your hair washed so you'd look nice for the boy who lived down the street.", joked Adrienne as she thought back.

Jordan stifled her own laughter. Her sister was right, she had wanted to impress the six year old boy she'd had a crush on back then. It was her first crush and her first heartbreak. The boy had eyes only for one of the other girls at the party. Last Jordan heard, her first crush and the girl he'd had eyes for at the party had married and were now expecting their third child. She told Adrienne as such.

"Okay, Adrienne, close your eyes, I gotta rinse out the shampoo.", Jordan said as she picked up the half-full bucket of water.

Receiving a favorable acknowledgment from Adrienne, Jordan commenced to pour the warm scented water over her sister's hair to rinse the shampoo out of her hair. When she was finished and the bucket was empty, Jordan refilled it in preparation for when Adrienne returned the favor. Minutes later as they climbed out of the shared tub, Adrienne looked at her sister and commented on Jordan's new hair style.

"Thanks, Adrienne, even though I like my hair when it's long, I prefer to keep it cut short and don't allow it to get longer than shoulder length. Like you said, it's a pain in the ass to take care of hair that long. I still wonder how mom does it though?", answered Jordan.

"You must remember, our mom has our dad and he's taken on the permanent role of washing mom's hair when she needs it washed.", replied Adrienne as she dried off and wrapped a towel around her body and watched her sister do the same.

With a few more acknowledgements, the Tanisius sisters turned towards the doors to their respective bedrooms when Jordan turned back to Adrienne and asked her a question concerning Morgan and Owen.

"I don't think those two are up yet. You know how late they like to stay up. I wouldn't put it past them to both still be deep in the arms of Mr. Sandman.", Adrienne returned.

"Yeah, you're right. I have a feeling that we won't see hide nor hair of Owen and Morgan till right before church.", stated Jordan as she opened the door to her room and started to enter.

Jordan stopped when she heard her sister mention that if she needed help combing her hair to come by her room before going downstairs. Replying that she'd think about it, the younger sister closed the door behind her and headed across to her dresser and closet. Remembering something before she got halfway across her room, Jordan returned to the bathroom door and opened it.

"Merry Christmas Adrienne.", she called out.

"Merry Christmas yourself, Jordan.", Adrienne replied.

Down the hall from the suite of rooms their sisters shared, was the suite of rooms shared by Owen, Morgan, and-before he was kidnapped-Devon. Right now Owen Rupert Tanisius was rolling over and sleepily scratching his chest where the tribal tattoo of a leopard was etched into his skin. The day before, Christmas Eve, Owen had been picked up by one of his family's shuttles on L-4 where he'd celebrated an early Christmas with Fatima and her family. Owen had even gotten to meet the present head of the Winner Corporation, Quatre Raberba Winner, and his wife Dorothy Catalonia-Winner. Upon meeting his fiancée's younger brother and the present head of the company, Owen had stepped back and let the noise of the entire Winner Clan (all twenty-nine of the Winner Children and their families) carry his evening. He'd enjoyed himself immensely until Fatima indicated a gathering of some of her sisters and her sister-in-law who she was sure were plotting to find out when their own wedding would be held.

It had been an amusing sight to see Scheherazade Winner-Starion deep in conversation with the woman she thought wasn't suited for Quatre: Dorothy Catalonia-Winner. Sipping from his glass of sparkling apple cider (Owen followed the Winner rule about no alcohol at family gatherings. Something he heard that Duchess Catalonia-Winner was trying to get changed), it was soon apparent to him what the two friendly rivals were talking about when they kept glancing in his direction. When Scheherazade and Dorothy started in their direction (Owen was quietly sitting with Fatima and letting her carry the different conversations around them), he had sighed and politely stood up and greeted them. It was no surprise to him when the eldest Winner started right in on him-much to her sister's embarrassment.

"So Mr. Tanisius, when do you plan on proposing to my sister?", he heard Scheherazade ask.

"Madam Winner-Starion, I plan on proposing, according to my family's tradition, shortly after my elder sister is married. That will be the only time my parents will allow me to ask for Fatima's hand in marriage. It is at my parent's request that I hold off on asking. Otherwise I would have asked her already.", Owen had answered with a straight face.

His politeness and impeccable manners had startled his beloved's oldest sister but, like a true Winner, she recomposed herself and was about to ask another question when she was interrupted by the familiar voice of the present head of Winner Enterprises.

"Schezy, leave the man alone! Mr. Tanisius doesn't need you and my wife to continuously bother him about marrying Fatima. He'll propose when he's damn good and ready. Leave them and their relationship be! Iria told me about you ruining her plans to get Fatima to relax from her duties the day Dorothy and I left to pick up Ms. Relena, her husband, her brother, and her sister-in-law. Now, of course I don't condone what they had planned or what they do together when they're alone. But if his being by her side and helping her relax keeps Fatima from getting the headaches she used to complain about, then I have nothing against their continued relationship. Oh and Schezy, when they do get formally engaged, let Fatima choose her own theme for her own wedding, okay?", came the mellow voice of Quatre Winner as he made his way over to the gathering and gently took his protesting wife by the arm and started to pull her away.

Scheherazade had made a move as if to protest but a steely look from her brother squelched her words before she could speak. The eldest Winner had uttered a meek _'Yes Quatre' _in reply and turned away from where Fatima and Owen sat. Owen had been about to thank his benefactor when he saw that Quatre had already disappeared into the crowd. Later as the party was dying down, Owen had received a summons to Quatre's office to speak with him in person. The first thing he saw after he closed the door was the head of Winner Enterprises with his necktie loosened and his stockinged feet propped up on his desk. Quatre had poured him a glass of single malt Scotch and apologized for not having anything at the party stronger than the sparkling apple cider and sparkling grape juice being served.

Owen snorted in his sleep as he remembered the conversation between the two men as the level of Scotch in the bottle dropped to almost non-existant. After he was brought word that a Tanisius Family Shuttle had landed on L-4 to pick him up, Owen and Quatre (neither of them well-coordinated after finishing the bottle) had stumbled out to where Quatre had a limo waiting to take him to the shuttleport. Before he climbed into his conveyance, Owen had promised Quatre that if he ever visited him at his office on L-4, Owen would bring the Scotch. Much to the annoyance of Dorothy and Fatima, Quatre had agreed and told him he'd hold him to his promise.

Rolling over in his bed and opening his eyes, Owen woke up as he remembered Fatima's Christmas present to him (delivered in the back of the limo that took him to the shuttleport) and grinned fondly. Hearing running water, the second of the Tanisius Five deduced that Morgan was awake and in the process of taking a shower. Wrinkling his nose at the stench of his breath, Owen got out of bed and walked over to his sink to brush his teeth. He was in the midst of washing his face when Morgan stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his hips and made his way to the door leading to his room.

"Morning Morgan, Merry Christmas.", stated Owen as he rubbed a hand over the stubble on his chin.

"Morning Owen, Merry Christmas to you too. Mom and Dad were at it again this morning. I heard Adrienne wake up and grumble but then I heard the water running in their bathtub and heard her ask Jordan to wash her hair for her.", replied Morgan as he held the door open.

"So, Mom and Dad are busy with each other and our sisters are probably awake as well. I guess that just leaves me to get ready."

"Yeah. That's about the gist of it."

Owen nodded and waved a hand in Morgan's direction as he closed the door. Returning to his bedroom, Owen grabbed what he needed and jumped in the shower. He could put off shaving until they got ready to go to church. He was famished and Grandmother promised to cook his favorite breakfast today.

_**Well it looks like I have to split this chapter into two parts. I hope you enjoy the first part of this chapter. The second part shall be up soon. My complete author's notes will be in their usual spot at the end fo the second part of this chapter. **_

_**Knightewolfe.**_

_**Knightewolfe's Lair**_

_**7/08**_


	7. A Tanisius Family Christmas part 2

Okay Ladies and Gents, here's the second part of

Okay Ladies and Gents, here's the second part of

'Sylvia's Solitary Soldier' Chapter Five. Hopefully

my readers can understand the reason for the split

chapter. I apologize about the split.

_**Sylvia's Solitary Soldier**_

_**Chapter 5**_

_**A Tanisius Family Christmas **_

_**(Part Two).**_

_**December 25, A.C. 201. Tanisius Family Colony**_

Downstairs in the large kitchen, Devon was running between the two stoves, two of the three ovens, (The third one had a

Christmas turkey basting in it), the sink, and the microwave trying to prepare a surprise breakfast for his family. Gwendolyn was keeping Silesia and Millennia entertained while Rhahorus and Isis were content to lay by the sliding glass door that led out to the backyard. Even though his family lived on their own colony, they tried to keep it as Earth normal as possible. From the recycled air, to the artificially created breezes, and the occasional light winter snowstorm (one of which was planned to start in a few minutes so that the families living on this small colony could have their own White Christmas according to the colony weather control.) Devon could already see a few snow flakes starting to fall as he cooked.

Taking a break from his cooking after checking on everything, Devon took another drink from his mug of Mandarin Orange Tea. He'd had a long shuttle flight and he was a bit tired but he wanted to cook for his family. Seeing the ears on his pet panthers prick up, Devon turned his attention to the entryway where Gwendolyn was returning after showing her great-granddaughters around the house and having them put their presents under the ten foot tall Christmas tree in the living room.

"I can hear everyone moving around upstairs, Devon. They should be getting ready to come down soon. When they get a whiff of the food it will be sooner. Why don't you go take a shower and put on something nice? The girls and I will keep and eye on the food. To keep Morgan and Owen from figuring out you're here, use the shower in the guest bedroom. Of course you remember it's right down the hall I take it.", commented Gwendolyn as she took Devon's place in front of the number one stove and turning down the heat on the large pot of grits he was cooking.

Devon started to protest but saw the look in her eyes and consented to her bidding. Taking off his apron and oven mitts, Devon passed them over to Gwendolyn, finished his tea, and headed in the direction indicated. Stopping only to have a quick word with the twins and to scratch Isis behind the ear, Devon picked up his suitcase and made his way to the bedroom in question. Once in the bedroom, Devon headed for the bathroom and stripped out of his clothes. Setting the water temperature of the shower to his desired temperature and pulse, the sniper took a twenty minute slow relaxing shower and even had time to wash his hair. When he was through, Devon shut off the water, wrapped a towel around his hips and studied his face in the mirror. Seeing the stubble on his chin, Devon unknowingly imitated Owen in choosing to shave later. Minutes later, a fully dressed and refreshed Devon re-entered the kitchen and retook his place over the stove. He was about to check on the food when his grandmother told him that everything was ready.

"I finished cooking ten minutes ago. Now everything is on the buffet being kept warm until the others come down for breakfast. Go and help the twins set the table while I set out the food. Your parents should be coming down the stairs shortly. They got a bit noisy during their shared shower but what the hell, what happens in the master bedroom, stays in the master bedroom. That is until my son and daughter-in-law start acting like teenagers again. Ah here comes someone now.", commented Gwendolyn as she heard the footsteps coming down the stairs.

Devon grinned as he listened to his grandmother and called his daughters into the dining room. When the twins came scampering in, Devon asked them to go wait by the stairs and surprise whomever it was. Silesia and Millennia agreed with big bright smiles lighting up their faces and scampered off to an admonishment from their great-grandmother about running in the house. The two eleven year old girls slowed down and walked over to the stairs and waited while Gwen watched her grandson try and hide the look of pride crossing his face.

"Hey you! Four-eyes; get over there with your daughters. Everything's just about finished here. I can finish setting the last bit of silverware out for breakfast.", growled Gwendolyn.

"But grandmother…", protested Devon before seeing the determined look on Gwen's face.

"No buts, get over there. Now, bright eyes.", growled Gwendolyn as she shook a fist in his direction.

Sighing to himself and straightening his clothes, Devon made his way over to the stairs and took his daughters hands and waited for the appearance of their family.

Jordan Victoria Tanisius yawned as she came down the stairs to partake of the breakfast her nose was telling her had been prepared. Wearing a calf-length skirt, t-shirt, and her house shoes; Jordan had gotten partially dressed for the Christmas morning church service the family attended every year. Nearing the bottom of the flight of stairs, a flash of black velvet caught her eyes and she wondered what it was. Curious by nature, but wary of a possible attack, Jordan lengthened her stride so she could reach the bottom of the staircase and assuage her curiosity. As she neared the bottom of the stairs, Jordan's mouth dropped open and her eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of who it was waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

"Merry Christmas Aunt Jordan!!", came the synchronized chorus from her identically dressed nieces standing at the bottom of the steps with their father.

"Merry Christmas, sis.", added Devon as he grinned at her astonishment.

There standing in front of her, though she didn't believe it at first, was her older brother. Jordan started to scream in delight but Devon hurriedly clasped his hand over her mouth to squelch the shout that was working its way from her throat.

"Don't Jordan. We want to surprise the entire family as they come down. Breakfast is ready and waiting on the table and grandmother's waiting.", commented Devon as he pulled his hand from Jordan's mouth.

Before she could answer and express her joy, the voices of their older sister and their mother carried to their ears. And from the sound of it, Brianna was laying down the law to her eldest child and Adrienne wasn't happy about it.

_"Listen young lady, you're going to church today and that's final! You know that this is a family tradition that we haven't missed in years. That means I want you to take off that business suit and put on something more appropriate for church. And remember, if you are wearing a skirt or dress to church, the hem has to be below the knees. I don't give a good gawddamn if your fiancée is there and he says he likes to see your legs. He can admire them later but not in church. That's final!!"_, growled the present matriarch of the family.

_"But mom, I still have at least five reports I need to finish before the end of the year! I need to get into the office, even if it's just for a few hours so I can get caught up!!", _retorted Adrienne shrilly while wisely not mentioning anything about her fiancée wanting to see her legs more often.

Jordan and Devon just looked at each other and shook their heads.

"Mom, Adrienne. Grandmother says hurry up, breakfast is getting cold. She also told me to tell you to cease your bickering or she'll stop it for you.", called Jordan with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

There was nothing but silence from the two bickering women upstairs and Jordan smirked as she turned to face her brother, only to jump when she felt a familiar hand on her shoulder. Glancing over her shoulder, Jordan resigned herself to her fate when she saw her grandmother's disapproving glare. Her expression changed when Gwendolyn's face morphed from a glare into one of her rare smiles.

"Good girl. At least some of my training got through that thick skull of yours.", commented the retired assassin as she turned back towards the dining room.

Before she completely left, Gwen called up the stairs.

"If the food that I cooked gets cold before everyone else gets down here. I will not be happy. And you already know what happens when I'm not happy."

There was a great clattering of feet as each family member still upstairs came rushing down the stairs. First to come down were Adrienne and Brianna. Like Jordan, they stopped as they saw the three people waiting for them at the bottom of the steps.

"Grandmother!! Aunt Adrienne!! Merry Christmas!!", Silesia and Millennia called out as the two women reached the bottom of the steps.

Adrienne was wearing a black, knee-length skirt and grey blouse while Brianna had on a bright yellow housedress. Both of them stopped to talk but stopped when the sound of thudding feet told them who was on their way down the stairs in a hurry.

"Here comes the thundering heard. We better get out of the way if we don't want to get hurt.", stated Devon calmly as he motioned for his sisters, mother, and daughters to move out of the way.

They complied and it was a good thing they did because Leopold, Owen, and Morgan came crashing down the stairs only to hit the floor and skid halfway across the room. Groans of minor pain were interlaced with expletives and exclamations of surprise as the three men untangled themselves and straightened up and dusted off the dirt from their slacks. Before they could speak, Gwendolyn's raised voice came at them through the door to the dining room.

"Okay, now that everyone is here I want all nine of you to come to the table and eat. Greetings and stuff can come later. Devon prepared this meal and it's getting cold. And I for one am hungry. Leo, once everyone is seated, you say the grace and bless the table, is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am.", Leopold replied to his mother.

Two hours later Brianna, Jordan, and Adrienne were finishing up the dishes while Leopold, Owen, and Morgan were wiping down the table, counters, and stove. Devon, as the cook, was relaxing on the couch in front of the Christmas tree as his two daughters napped; one on each side. That was the scene when Gwendolyn Tanisius entered the room attired in a long calf-length skirt, the light blue silk blouse her son and daughter-in-law had purchased while on L-5 for business, and an apron more suited for cooking than what she was planning on doing. Seeing that everyone was busy, Gwendolyn went over to a well-hidden closet door and opened it before delving inside. When she found what she was looking for, the previous matriarch of the Tanisius Clan brought it out and placed it on the rug by the sliding glass door to the backyard.

"Devon, get over here. Brianna, I need a pot of hot water. Adrienne go look in my room and bring me the leather bag sitting on the counter in the bathroom. Jordan go get me a towel.", the seventy-eight year old woman barked.

"Mother, what's going on? Why do you need these things?", asked Brianna as she entered the family room while drying her hands on a handy dish towel she'd slung over her shoulder.

"I take it that you either did not notice or noticed and let pass the stubbly cheeks of your husband and three sons. Now I don't know how you do it but I will not allow my son and grandsons to go to church with stubbly faces. Do you have that pan of water I asked for? You do, good; pour it in here.", stated a slightly peeved Gwendolyn as she indicated the old granite basin she'd pulled out of the closet.

Leopold Tanisius figured out what his mother planned to do before anyone else and commented it.

"I remember that tub, mom, you used to use it to give dad a shave every Sunday before church. What are you doing with it now?", asked Leo.

"What do you think I'm going to do with it smartass! Now bring me a chair, Devon needs a shave and I'm going to give him one. Adrienne where is that bag I asked you to get?"

"Here it is grandmother. What do you need out of it?", replied Adrienne.

"You'll see, now go get me a hand towel and place it in the water your mother poured into the basin. Once that is done, I want you, your mother, and your sister to gather round. I'm going to teach the three of you something that a woman needs to know.", answered Gwendolyn as she dipped the bristled end of a small brush in the boiling hot water and placed it inside a coffee-style cup sitting on a handy end table.

Leopold was suddenly hit by a feeling of déjà vu. He had a feeling that his mother was going to use an extremely old method of shaving to give Devon the shave she said he needed. That feeling grew stronger when Gwendolyn reached into the bag and pulled out a folded, ivory-handled straight razor she flipped open and started stropping against a leather strap that had appeared out of nowhere. Turning to his son, he could see the small indication of fear on Devon's face. Sighing to himself the present family patriarch pulled Devon to his feet with one powerful hand and dragged him over to the chair now situated in front of the basin. Gently but forcibly pushing Devon into the seat, Leo leaned in and gave Devon a piece of advice.

"Whatever you do during this, don't piss your grandmother off. If you did, I wouldn't put it past her to 'accidentally' nick you with that razor she's sharpening."

"Ye…ye… yes father. I understand. There is no way I'm gonna upset grandmother while she has that…that…implement of death at my throat. I actually want to live through this.", stammered Devon.

"One thing I will tell you though: this'll probably be the best shave you could ever get. Your grandfather loved it when your grandmother shaved him. And she never cut him once. She's extremely good at this."

"I heard that Leo! Extremely good my seventy-eight year old ass! I'm the best when it comes to shaving a man with a straight razor. Even though I've been out of practice for years, I don't think I've lost my touch. Now Devon, don't worry. This isn't going to hurt; well after I take this towel off it isn't going to hurt. The water this towel is sitting in is extremely hot.", commented Gwendolyn as she squeezed the excess hot water out of the towel she'd gotten out of the water and quickly slapped it against Devon's face.

Devon stifled a shout as the steaming towel was placed against his stubble. His grandmother had understated how hot the towel was by a long shot! The damn thing felt as if it was burning his face off! The intense heat from the soaked towel lasted for a couple of minutes before the towel was yanked away and deposited in a waiting plastic bag. Seconds after the towel was removed, Devon heard what he categorized was a quiet tapping sound he surmised was the sound of the soft-haired brush being whisked around the inside of the coffee cup where he guessed the foaming bar of old-fashioned shaving cream sat. His guess was rewarded when the scent of sandalwood floated into his nostrils. The scent increased in potency when he heard the cessation of the tapping and felt the shaving cream covered soft bristles start brushing across his face.

Beside the chair where Devon sat with his head leaned back; Brianna, Adrienne, and Jordan sat looking on with an intense concentration as Gwendolyn explained to the trio of women what she was doing. When she was finished lathering Devon's face up, Gwendolyn took up her straight razor, shook out her hands to loosen them up, and proceeded to gently place the sharp blade against Devon's face right in front of his ear where the sideburn stubble began. Angling the blade juusst right, Gwendolyn continued her lecture in a casual tone of voice.

As her class of three listened with rapt attention to her lecture, Gwendolyn slowly and gently started to scrape away at the stubble covering her grandson's face with short strokes. She knew that it had been a long time since she'd last done this and had wanted to pass the technique down to Brianna when Leopold got married but she was a bit worried about how her daughter-in-law would take to the idea. Gwendolyn knew from experience that when a wife shaves her husband it brings the two closer together and demonstrates the trust one must place in their spouse. With a straight razor, the trust is strengthened even more. A man who lets his wife use a straight razor to shave him is basically giving control of his life to her. If the trust is not there, then the bond between man and wife is not as strong as it could be. When her husband, Sebastian Mikael Tanisius was alive, Gwendolyn knew without a doubt that he loved her enough to basically place his life in her hands each and every time she used a straight razor to give him a shave and trim his moustache. Several times, Sebastian would grow his beard out just so that she'd shave him. A slight blush appeared on her soft caramel skin as she remembered one such day she'd given her husband a shave and the events that happened after.

Leo saw the blush on his mother's face and knew she was remembering his father. When he was younger, he'd always loved watching his parents when his mother shaved his father. Sitting on the porch, a sheet covering his suit, and tied at the back of his neck, the late Sebastian Mikael Tanisius was a role model for his young son as he learned how a man should trust his wife no matter what. Leopold thought back to the day they buried his father. It was an extremely rainy day a few years after Morgan was born. In his life, Leopold had never seen his mom so emotionally drained. She had barely acknowledged the mourners as they slowly filed by the gravesite and passed on their condolences as she gazed at the shining black casket where her perpetual love lay in repose before they lowered him into his place of eternal rest. Leopold remembered that before they closed the casket and sealed his father in, his mother had risen from her seat and stepped up to the casket and placed within it the one thing that had solidified their loving bond for over fifty years:

An old straight razor with a cracked ivory handle.

A few days after the funeral and internment of his father, Leopold had finally gotten up the nerve to ask Gwendolyn about the razor. Her answer surprised him and showed him the love that his parents had for each other.

_"That razor has been with us ever since we first started dating, son. Your father once told me that he loved me as much as he loved that razor. The night before our tenth anniversary, I couldn't find that razor and went out and bought a new one. Your father was so furious with me for doing that and we got into an extremely loud argument. The next day, I was feeling so bad that I almost didn't react when your grandparents showed up and threw us a surprise party. After everyone had left, your father and I gave each other our gifts. Imagine my surprise when I opened up this small box and there sat the razor I had misplaced. Your father, the crazy man, had gone out two days before and had gotten our names engraved into the handle in gold. From then on, I made sure to always keep that razor with me where ever we went. Even when times were bad and we had to sell some of our things to get by, I never even gave a thought to selling that razor. It was what kept our marriage strong.", Gwendolyn had replied that day._

Leopold came out of his reverie as Gwendolyn completed her final stroke and started to clean her razor in a small pan of fresh boiling water her eldest granddaughter had brought over. Watching as the former matriarch of the family wiped the last few splotches of shaving cream from her grandson's face, Leopold couldn't help but grin. That grin increased in size exponentially when, Gwendolyn splashed some old-style aftershave lotion on Devon's face.

Devon screamed bloody murder when the alcohol based lotion hit the freshly shorn skin of his cheeks. He received a slap to the back of his head for his actions.

"Don't be such a crybaby, Devon. That was your grandfather's favorite aftershave lotion. Now get up, I'm finished with you.", snapped the retired assassin known as Sabretooth.

Devon started to retort but it was silenced as he felt how smooth his cheeks were. Never in his life had he had a shave this close. Looking at his grandmother in wonderment, Devon didn't fail to catch the 'I-told-you-so' gleam in his grandmothers' eyes before she turned and snapped at her son and daughter-in-law.

"Leopold Sebastian Tanisius, have a seat; you're next. Brianna Etienne Tanisius, step up to the plate! It's your turn. Prove to me that you can do this.", commented Gwendolyn as she reached into her little bag and pulled out an unopened straight razor and gave it to her daughter-in-law.

Brianna accepted the implement a little hesitantly at first but relaxed as she felt a strong, familiar hand on her shoulder. Looking back, she saw that her husband was gazing at her intensely. In his eyes, she saw her reassurance. The dark brown eyes of her husband told her that he trusted her implicitly. They spoke to her, passionately. They said:

_**"No matter what happens, I trust you with my life and my love."**_

As her husband sat down in the recently vacated chair, Brianna felt her confidence return. She could do this. She could shave her husband with a straight razor and not cut him. She would do it to prove to her mother-in-law that her love for Leopold equaled and surpassed the love Gwendolyn had held and still held for her late husband, Leo's father, and her father-in-law: Sebastian Mikael Tanisius.

Watching the visual interplay between her son and daughter-in-law, Gwendolyn saw the trust Leo had for Brianna and decided that it was time for the new matriarch and patriarch of the Tanisius Clan to receive the gift she'd been holding for them for almost thirty years. Of course, she'd only present them with this gift after she saw how well Brianna wielded the generic brand straight razor she'd given her.

Thirty minutes later, Brianna was about to start her finishing stroke when her mother-in-law stopped her and quietly held out her hand for the razor Brianna presently held. It caught the present matriarch of the family by surprise and irritated her a bit but Brianna held her tongue and handed the requested object over. She was about to step away from the chair when Gwendolyn tapped her on the shoulder and held out a new razor. The fifty-three year old woman did a double take as she gazed down at the object now resting in the palm of her delicate hand. The polished ivory handle softly shining as the names engraved in gold on the handle glistened in the light. Brianna jerked her head up and gazed at the preceding matriarch of the Tanisius Family spoke.

"I've had that ever since your wedding. I wanted to give it to you then but I wasn't sure at the time that you were right for my son. My husband convinced me that you were and we made plans to present it to you upon your anniversary but it never seemed to be the right time. Today as I observed you and him, I knew that it was high time for the both of you to receive this gift."

Brianna couldn't speak as she held the razor gently and firmly in her hands. Carefully opening the blade and waiting for Gwendolyn to give her permission to continue, Brianna saw the loving look her fifty-six year old husband gave her and mentally vowed to keep the gift in the family forever. Instinctively, Brianna knew that the girt they'd just be given was to be used by them and them alone. And when it was time, she'd imitate her mother-in-law and let the gift be buried with her husband when his time came. Hopefully that wouldn't be for several more decades yet.

Nodding her thanks to Gwendolyn, Brianna turned back to her task and used the brand new razor to scrape the remnants of Leopold's stubble from his cheeks and trim his thick moustache. When she was finished, Brianna reverently cleaned the razor with a loving care and gently folded it closed and placing it in a monogrammed case that had appeared out of nowhere and fit the dimensions of the implement perfectly. Once the precious gift was safely and securely put away, Brianna reached for the old-fashioned bottle of aftershave lotion and splashed some in her hands. Rubbing her small palms together, she gently placed her hands along her husbands' newly shorn cheeks and rubbed the lotion in. Unlike her son, Brianna's husband didn't even bark a word of protest when he felt the familiar sting of an alcohol based lotion. Rising from his seat, Leo turned to his three boys and gave in to the urge to tease his boys a little bit.

"A real man holds his protests in when the woman he loves splashes aftershave lotion on their cheeks."

Their reactions were hilarious to observe: Devon snorted in annoyance while both Owen and Morgan cast worried looks at each other before gazing at their sisters (who suddenly looked extremely interested in what was going on.). They knew what going to happen next and neither would put it past Adrienne and Jordan to 'accidentally' nick them while they sat in the chair helpless.

After the straight razor demonstration, it took the family another hour or so before they were completely ready to attend the Christmas Day service. The four Tanisius men were all wearing double-breasted suits in shades of navy blue and grey with offsetting neckties. Each man had a black diamond glinting from its position secured to their left earlobe. The four were waiting for their remaining family members to make their appearances. Owen and Morgan were holding a conversation by the front door, Leopold was sitting in a chair reading the paper, and Devon was explaining to his daughters how the family went to church.

The clicking of high heels coming down the stairs soon heralded the appearance of the missing members of the family as they met the men in the living room. Jordan Victoria Tanisius was the first one to appear. Wearing a peach colored calf length dress with matching waistcoat and low-heeled shoes, she made her way over to where Owen and Morgan were talking and joined the conversation.

Next to arrive was Adrienne Nicole Tanisius. Adrienne was attired in a grey long-sleeved dress that conformed to her mother's demands that it have the hem below her knees. Adrienne had tucked her clutch purse under her arm as she fussed with the platinum band of her dress watch. In comparison to the grey, Adrienne's engagement ring glimmered as it gleamed brightly in contrast with the dark dove grey dress. A silver necklace glinted occasionally from Adrienne's neck as she moved over to the window and gazed outside at the snow that was drifting down to cover the lawn.

Shortly after her eldest came down, Brianna made her appearance in the living room. As the matriarch of the family came down the stairs, it was apparent to all that she was conversing with her mother-in-law as they went over the menu for dinner. Both Brianna Etienne Tanisius and Gwendolyn Tanisius were wearing colorful church dresses with the elder woman adding a matching hat to her outfit to set it off. At the foot of the stairs, Gwendolyn saw her son sitting down and reading the paper and read him a quiet riot act before demanding that he get their coats out of the coat closet by the door. Minutes later the family of ten made their way out the door. Since the church that the Tanisius Family attended was within walking distance, the patriarch and matriarch of the family decided that it would be easier to just walk to church.

Striding casually down the snow-covered sidewalks and conversing with those they saw along the way, the Tanisius Clan headed towards one of the many colony churches. Devon remembered how the family used to walk to church when he was younger and saw that not much had changed during his sixteen year absence. As they trailed their relatives to the stone edifice, the suspended sniper was pointing out things of interest to his daughters and laughing as Silesia and Millennia took it all in and realized how fortunate they were to be adopted into a family who owned their own colony and whose fellow residents treated them as members of the family. Since the press wasn't allowed on this colony unless invited, Devon and his twins had no worries about their visages being seen anywhere else in the Earthsphere. Add to that fact that the residents were notoriously tight-lipped (even more so than the people of Mars and the resort where the Peacecrafts and the Yuy's had gone for their honeymoons), Devon was confident that no one on Earth would know he had even been here when he and his daughter returned home. The twins could tell their classmates that their father had been invited to spend Christmas with Morgan Tanisius and his family and they wouldn't be stretching the truth too much.

Up at the front of the gaggle of Tanisius', Brianna slipped her arm through the arm of her husband and leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked down the boulevard with their family behind them. Leo was stopping every so often to talk to some of the residents who went to some of the other churches on the colony or weren't feeling well enough to attend church. Often he would stop and write somebody a nice-sized check on the spot and wished them a Merry Christmas. A little further up the street and it would start all over again. Looking behind her, Brianna saw that her mother-in-law was chatting with Adrienne and Jordan about something inconsequential while Morgan and Owen conversed with friends they saw as they walked. Although in Owen's case it was more women than men. Brianna sighed in resignation as her eldest son gently turned down most of the invitations tossed his way by some of the unmarried women in his age group on the colony. Shifting her sight to her son and granddaughters, Brianna cooed in happiness as she saw Devon pointing out familiar sights to the twins and just enjoying his time with them. Nudging Leopold with her elbow and jerking her head in Devon's direction, Brianna saw a smile of contentment come across that strong and proud face she loved to caress so much. Seeing that her family was nearing its destination, Brianna called Silesia and her twin sister to her and when they arrived, took their hands in her own as they climbed the stairs to the sanctuary.

Standing at the door was the pastor welcoming members to the Christmas Day service with a smile and a holiday salutations. When he saw the family whose largess kept the colony together, his smile became even larger. He said as such to Leopold and the patriarch of the Clan grinned back and introduced Devon and the twins to the priest before opening the door and leading his family inside the church. Since the Tanisius Family had requested the church be built on the colony before even Leopold had been born, the family had a pew reserved for them which they rarely used without inviting others to sit with them. Leo and Brianna had asked that the pew not be reserved but the rest of the congregation wouldn't hear of it.

The Christmas service was two hours long and Devon observed as his daughters fit in with the rest of the family. The elders of the church were glad that he had returned to the colony and were ecstatic that he had adopted two orphans and given them the family name. After the service had ended, Devon and the rest of the family accepted the adulations at his survival and return to the fold with a modest grace as they were leaving the sanctuary and heading back home.

It was midafternoon and the members of the Tanisius Family had returned home from church. Brianna had relented and allowed Adrienne to run to the Headquarters of the family business to take care of the stuff she needed to get done but gave her eldest daughter a four hour deadline. If Adrienne wasn't able to get the work finished in that time frame, she was to leave whatever was left until after the holiday. His sister grumbled but acquiesced to their mother's demand and agreed to be back in time for dinner. Before she left for the office, Devon presented Adrienne with her Christmas gift.

When the full grown tigress made its appearance as Devon brought her in; Adrienne gazed at the massive beast with a look of awe on her face. Giggling like a little girl, the eldest of the Tanisius brood exclaimed that she was taking her new pet to work with her. The family watched as Adrienne clasped the collar control device on her wrist reverently before making her excuses to the rest of her the family, accepting the leash from Devon, and heading for the office to get her work done.

The rest of the watches were distributed to the new owners and Devon smirked as he watched the reactions of his family as their gift made its appearance. Owen did a gleeful little dance that had the entire family laughing as his cougar was brought to him; Jordan walked over and darn near snatched her cheetah's leash from Devon possessively. Morgan asked his parents if he could bring his mountain lion with him to school when he returned to Earth. Of course Leo and Brianna said no but relented when he promised to have his mountain lion taken to the family house in Brussels.

When the patriarch and matriarch of the family received their gifts, the two shared a laugh with each other as they realized that they would have to enclose part of the property so the lion and lioness could walk freely about without bothering the numerous guests they occasionally received during the rest of the year since the compound was off limits to anyone but family during the winter holidays.

A few hours later, Devon was sitting on the couch looking outside at the falling snow as he relaxed for the first time in a long time. There was a large fire roaring in the massive fireplace across the room that filled the house with warmth as the family enjoyed their togetherness. The twins had fallen asleep some time after dinner and had been taken upstairs by Jordan so they could take a bath and get ready for bed. Adrienne had returned in time for dinner (barely beating her mother's deadline) and had washed the dishes before heading for her home office to take care of some inconsequential things that needed to be done. Brianna and Gwendolyn were sitting at the table in the breakfast nook discussing some of the gossip they had overheard after church while Leopold finished reading the paper. Seeing that his brothers weren't doing anything, Devon turned to them and made a suggestion.

"Owen, Morgan, why don't we go outside and build a snowman just for the hell of it?"

"I dunno, Devon, Owen's waiting for his girlfriend Fatima Winner to call. For what reason, I don't know since he spent Christmas Eve at the Winner Family Compound. He even got to meet Quatre Winner and the two of them split a bottle of scotch, right Owen?", replied Morgan as he looked up from the magazine he was perusing.

"Yeah, that's true Morgan. Mr. Winner and I did split a bottle of scotch in his office. As I made my way to the limo that was going to bring me to the shuttle port, I told him that if he decided to visit my office I'd bring the Scotch.", Owen commented as he shifted his position in his chair.

"I see. For as long as I've been with Preventors, Winner has always been the voice of reason between Maxwell and Chang as well as Yuy and Maxwell. It doesn't hurt anything that his wife, Duchess Catalonia, is a very good friend of Foreign Minister Yuy. In fact, Dorothy, Quatre, Heero, and Relena all went to Saint Gabriel's Institute during the latter part of the First Gundam War. I think Maxwell might have gone there for a bit as well.", responded Devon as he leaned back against the couch.

His brothers were about to comment when Adrienne appeared at the end of the hallway with Devon's laptop case in her hands. Walking over to her brother with a frown on her face, Adrienne placed the case on the table in front of the couch and bent down to look Devon in the eye.

"I was in the middle of some important business Devon when the case for your laptop started making some noise and wouldn't stop. I retrieved it and decided to bring it in here so you can take care of it. Now, if you don't mind, I need you to attend to your laptop.", growled the twenty-five year old businesswoman.

Devon lifted an eyebrow. This was unusual to say the least. Although he hadn't told anyone on the message board that he was going on vacation, Devon had told them that he was going to be incommunicado for awhile over the Christmas Holidays. Straightening up, Devon gestured for Adrienne to step back so he could open the case. He mentioned that his laptop and the secrets carried within its thin case were protected by a real nasty aerosol spray and he was the only one who knew how to disarm the alert system.

Disarming the security system and opening the bag so he could retrieve the thin computer, Devon checked some of his other telltales that told him if anyone had messed with this particular laptop. Seeing that none of his measures had been tampered with, Devon went ahead and activated the computer after pulling it out and placing it on the table in front of his seat. Once his welcome screen came up and he was where he needed to be, the sniper opened one of the ancillary programs he'd added to the laptop when he first got it and set it up so nobody could figure out where he was. As he did this he explained the program to his family.

"This helps me keep my whereabouts a secret from those searching for the Panther. Yuy of the Preventors as well as Hilde Maxwell have been sniffing around in cyberspace trying to latch on to my trail. It also keeps prospective clients from finding out where the Panther lives. Preventor has tried a few times to infiltrate my system but each time they've failed. So, they keep their search going hoping one day to luck into some speck of evidence to find me. They do know that the Panther eschews face to face meetings and prefers to handle his business online. My question is, who wants to get in touch with me or to be more precise; who wants to get in touch with the Panther?"

Each member of his family looked at Devon for an explanation but got nothing as Devon set his computer down on the table, plugged its power cord in to a handy outlet buried in the floor, and powered it up. Quickly and efficiently, Devon tasked his laptop to connect to the internet and run a scrambler program. As he did this, he explained what he was doing.

"Right now I'm running a program I modified to keep the website where my alter ego accepts or rejects clients pretty secure. When I log on, this particular program checks the web addresses of those requesting my services every two minutes to make sure they aren't unknowingly hiding the shadowy footsteps of a Preventors tech team established to uncover the my identity. Usually everyone is clean but every so often, the program catches Preventors trying to sneak in. When it does, this program automatically initiates a back hack and gives me overt and covert access to their files. I use that to my advantage and get them to halt their activities. My little cyber guard program once caught the foreign ministers' husband poking around and alerted me to the fact. I sent a semi-harmless little virus back to his access point and it caused the nexus he was using to lock him out and crash his system. He came to work the next day in a foul mood that had the Executive Protection Department walking around on eggshells.", explained Devon.

Leopold came over to observe his son's handiwork with a thoughtful look on his face. He had an idea bubbling in his mind. This program Devon had modified seemed like it would be an impressive addition to the Tanisius Security Technologies LTD and he asked but Devon demurred explaining that if family business started using the exact same program as the assassin known as The Black Panther, the Preventors would put the family under a close scrutiny they couldn't afford.

"Dad what I can do is, have the company purchase the software and I modify it, with help from T.S.T. personnel, into a similar program for the company. In fact, I could start the modifications and pass it on to Morgan to finish and meld into the T.S.T. systems since he probably knows that network better than I do."

"That could work but how would you get your work to him without anyone tumbling to your identity?", asked Leo.

"Oh, let me worry about that. Next month go ahead and purchase the software and get it to Morgan. He can pass it on to me and I can work on it while I'm at home. Once I've cracked the program code and start writing my modifications, I can build another computer and bring it to the house where Morgan can work to combine the programs before making a master copy and giving it to the tech department of T.S.T. Those techs could upload it to the system under Morgan's supervision and get it up and running in no time.", answered Devon as his laptop softly alerted him that everything was clear and he could log on to the message board.

Punching in another password, Devon waited for the main screen of his message board to pop up. Checking the stats, he saw that several people were already online and searching for him. Observing the messages first to get a read on who was there, Devon lurked on the site under another nickname while his family gathered around and leaned in to watch. Seeing a familiar name on the screen, Devon lifted an eyebrow and made an uncomplimentary exclamation.

"What the hell is he doing here? I thought I explained to him that I wasn't interested in accepting another job from him. The one job I did accept from him almost got me killed.", grumbled Devon as he read the request.

"Who is that guy, Devon and why don't you like accepting a contract from him.", asked Owen.

"He's an underworld figure I did a job for once a few years back. That one acceptance thinks it gives him the right to order the Panther around as if I'm his own personal enforcer. I've tried to be nice to the guy and elucidate him to the truth that the Panther only takes the jobs he thinks are worthy. Now since he's still acting as if he's the boss, it looks as if the panther may need to take him out. Or at least let him know that he does not appreciate being ordered to do a hit."

While his family watched, Devon revealed his alter ego to the names on the screen and was immediately bombarded by messages from everyone at once. Since Devon had set up the website so those who were there couldn't see requests made by others (though he could see them all) he sent each possible client a private message telling them that he was still not accepting any contracts until he was ready. When he came to the message from the client he'd been talking about, Devon composed a short and to the point message.

-_"I thought I told you that I was never going to accept another job from you."- _Devon.

_-"Well, I can't have you refusing my generous offers. If you refuse this job, you won't like my response." - _ Client.

_-"Once I turn down a contract, my other clients know not to bring it up again. I don't give a damn about your response." – _Devon.

-"_We'll see about that Panther. We'll see about that. You've made a big mistake in refusing this job." – _Client.

Devon growled at the words on the screen and mentally plotted to rid himself of this annoyance. Gathered around him, his family felt the suppressed anger as it rolled off of Devon in thick waves. They knew that this client had just signed his own death certificate. Pinching his nose between his thumb and forefinger, Devon composed himself and checked the profile of the client.

"Morgan, I want you memorize that address. When you have let me know.", stated Devon.

The youngest Tanisius child leaned further forward and read the address on the screen. Firmly fixing it in his mind, he nodded to his big brother. Devon saw the nod and closed out the profile. Noticing that the client was still waiting for an answer to his threat, Devon sighed and with one keystroke ended the conversation and banned the client from his website. Continuing to monitor the screen, Devon read over the rest of requests and told the clients that his alter ego wouldn't be available till after the holidays. Some grumbled about the delay while others accepted it without comment. They knew that once he accepted the contract, the target was as good as dead.

As he was preparing to log off, Devon saw a request that caught his eyes. Reading through it a few times, he felt that he could pass on this hit to somebody else. Turning to face his family, Devon directed his gaze at his older brother.

"Owen, you still do the occasional assassination on L-4 right?", Devon asked.

"Yeah I do. I don't do many since I'm usually busy with the company. Though every once in awhile I have to clean up some of the trash. Why do you ask?", answered Owen.

"Well, I have a request to take out somebody on L-4 and there is no way I can do it myself with my present schedule. If I were to set up a hidden account for you and get you the information you need on the target, do you think you could fulfill the contract?"

"Yeah, I can do it as long as the target is righteous."

"Oh this target is righteous. Preventors have a warrant out for his arrest. He's a rotten piece of work this one. Preventors have him on several charges of human, weapons, and drug smuggling. He's also suspected of murdering some of his cargo. I've heard through the grapevine that the many of the most notorious criminals out there want this guy caught or dead. I don't have to tell you that they'd prefer the latter but if he's caught and convicted they won't shed a tear for him."

Owen read the details of the contract as it was sent to his brother. He was a bit surprised to see that the client making the request had gotten it notarized somewhere to make it a legitimate binding contract once it was signed and accepted. Once he got the gist of the contract and the time line, Owen nodded at Devon who turned back to the screen and passed on to the client that even though he couldn't do the job he knew somebody who did. When the client wanted to know who that individual was, Devon admonished him to not pry into things that weren't his concern lest he pay the consequences. Getting an acknowledgment from the client, Devon requested that he get as much information on the target as he could and pass it on to him so he and the other party could research the target. The client agreed and information on the target was sent to a website where it would be held until Devon could get to it. Devon ended the conversation by telling the client that the job would be taken care of after the holidays before cutting the connection and returning to his lurking.

The senior members of the Tanisius family looked on in pride and respect at the way Devon handled the business and kept his identity secure. Gwen, Leo, and Brianna suspected that it would be several days before Devon went and retrieved the information and passed it on to Owen so he could act on it and said so.

"Yeah, it helps to keep the information on ice for a bit before actually retrieving it. That way, Owen could do his own research and compare it to what he'd already been given. That is how my alter ego works. He's meticulous and plans for every contingency. That meticulousness is why Panther commands such a high fee and why he doesn't take every contract he's offered. It's also the reason why I only accept those contracts against those who threaten this peace the E.S.U.N. is creating. I help protect the innocent and do what others can't.", replied Devon with a slight show of emotion.

In his seat, Morgan wondered why his brother wanted him to memorize that address. He suspected he knew what it was for but he wanted to make sure. Before he could ask, Devon turned to him after logging out and shutting off his laptop.

"Morgan, I bet you're wondering why I had you memorize that address, aren't you. The reason I had you memorize it is because I want you to eliminate that thorn in my side. You don't have to take care of him the way the rest of us take care of our targets and enemies. You're the bomb expert in the family. I've used some of your creations before during the turbulent times after both Gundam Wars. I would like you to create a small bomb to eliminate this problem. My only request is that the bomb you create not cause civilian casualties. You build it; I'll put it in place. Are you up to it?", asked Devon as he looked at his younger brother with an unparalleled intensity.

"Yes, I can do it Devon. When do you need it?"

"Morgan, don't take this lightly. If you create this bomb, you'll be contributing to the murder of an individual. I don't want that on your conscious. Adrienne, Owen, and I know the feeling and we don't want you to suffer like we had to when we took our first lives. Even Jordan has dealt with that feeling. Yes we do come from a family of assassins, good assassins. However, we do not take our heritage lightly. I bet mom, dad, and grandmother all still have dreams about the first target. I know I do. If you want, you can refuse this and leave it to me. Inside there is part of me that wishes you do exactly that. You're an excellent student at one of the most prestigious schools in the entire Earth Sphere and I don't want to spoil that innocence by causing you to cover your hands in blood living up to the family legacy. Think on this for a long time before you answer."

Morgan looked as his family as they sat around the room. Even though he knew he could refuse the job without repercussion, Morgan felt that it was his familial duty to help his brother out of this predicament. Looking Devon directly in his eyes and with an unwavering voice he gave him his answer.

"I'll do it. I'll make the bomb. Don't try to discourage me. There are times at night when I hear the anguish their actions cause and see the effect it has on them. Adrienne sniffling in her sleep as she ponders whether or not she's done the right thing; Owen isolating himself from the rest of the family after he spills the blood of someone taking ruthless advantage of an innocent, and Jordan mentally torturing herself as she remembers. I see how it affects the others; I hear their muffled shouts at night as they see the faces of their targets in their dreams as they sleep. In time they all come to the same conclusion why they did what they did: _'It was necessary to protect the innocent'_. Now I want to protect the innocent. I want to do everything necessary to help those who can't help themselves. I know you could get rid of that guy without a doubt, but I also know that you'd worry about the innocent getting in the crossfire if you missed. You couldn't live with the death of an innocent indirectly at your hands. So I want to do this for the same reason you do it. For the same reason Addy, Owen, and Jordan do it. I want to do this for the same reason mom, dad, and grandmother did. Not because it's the legacy of the Tanisius, but because it's the right thing to do.", stated Morgan with an undertone of determination in his voice.

Devon looked at his brother and saw in his eyes that nothing he could say would change his mind. Reaching out, he placed his hand on Morgan's head and ruffled his hair. Everyone chuckled as the youngest of the five grumbled at the movement.

"Alright kid, since you're determined to do this. I guess there's nothing I or anyone can say to change your mind. I'll do the same thing I did for Owen for you and create a hidden bank account and get you all the information I have on this guy. When you return to Earth and start classes again, we'll talk about what's needed then. Is that okay, squirt?"

"Yeah, that's fine and who're you calling squirt?"

The members of the family that were still awake laughed as the middle child and the youngest one got into a brotherly tussle in the middle of the floor. Gwendolyn Tanisius looked at her grandsons with a grin on her face and just shook her head. After sixteen years, now things were back to normal. She couldn't wait to see how things were going to play out over the next week and a half while Devon and his family were here. It wasn't going to be boring, she was sure of that.

Covering a yawning mouth with her hand, the former matriarch of the Tanisius Family decided that she'd been up long enough and was going to go to bed. When she announced her intentions, Gwen wasn't surprised to see her son and daughter-in-law follow suit. Catching the look in Leo's eyes, Gwendolyn was sure that whatever he and Brianna had planned, it wasn't to go to sleep right away. Gwen could see both Jordan and Adrienne smother tandem groans and check the clock. Her granddaughters gave each other looks of despair as they correctly guessed that they wouldn't be able to get to sleep if they headed upstairs now. They decided to stay downstairs for a bit so when they did head upstairs, they would be able to drop into bed and drift right off into dreamland.

Owen watched as his grandmother and parents headed to their respective bedrooms as he entered the kitchen and fixed himself another piece of pie. Bringing his plate back out into the family room, the second child of Leo and Brianna dropped into his seat and returned his attention to the television show he'd been watching. Within minutes he was so engrossed in the show that he almost didn't hear the phone ring. He only became aware of it when Devon held the handset out to him.

"Owen, it's for you. I think it's the call you've been waiting for.", said Devon before stretching and turning in the direction of the bedroom.

'Thanks brother dear. I appreciate you answering it."

"It was of no consequence. Jordan and Adrienne were caught up in their chess match and Morgan had already gone to bed. I'm headed that way myself because I'm exhausted. Leaving Earth early this morning, arriving here, and then being up all day; my energy is just about gone and I need to get some sleep so I can be ready for the twins in the morning. You won't believe how active they'll be when they wake up."

"I can imagine. Good night Devon."

"Night Owen, see you in the morning."

Owen nodded before turning his attention to the handset and bringing it to his ear. Hearing the familiar voice on the other end, the twenty-three year old stretched out and started to relax. Across the way, his sisters looked in his direction once then returned their attention to the chess board and the cutthroat game they were playing against each other. Owen blocked them out and concentrated on the conversation with his beloved. A few hours later he glanced up and saw that he was the only one left downstairs. Apparently Jordan and Adrienne had finished their match and figured that they could finally head upstairs and get some sleep.

"Fatima, love it looks like I'm the only one still left up and I'm fading fast here.", yawned Owen.

"I know how you feel. The only reason I'm still up is because Schezy and her husband wanted some alone time and left the kids with me. All my other sisters are either sleeping or otherwise preoccupied; even Quatre and Dorothy have called it a night and gone up to their room with little Jamal. He's talking and trying to walk now and I know that delights the two of them to no end but with all their work they rarely have time to spend as a family. I'm going to have to talk to Schezy and Iria to see if between the three of us we can get those two to go on a family vacation or something. They deserve it. I don't think that the two of them have had a proper vacation since the wedding and the birth.", returned Fatima as she watched her nieces and nephews as they watched a movie.

"Yeah, I'll probably be worrying like that when my elder sister finally gets married and has her own children. I'm already slated to take over for Adrienne until she returns from her honeymoon so that means that in two months we won't have as much time to spend with each other. Already my workload is starting to increase in preparation for that happy day."

"Hehehe, after we left the party on Christmas Eve, I could see that it was already starting to take a toll on you. You nodded off while I was giving you your Christmas present."

"Oh, ahm sorry about that, didn't mean to fall asleep like that.", slurred Owen as the level of his fatigue started to reach its saturation point.

Fatima Dinarzade Winner could hear the pronounced exhaustion in her boyfriend's voice and knew that he was moments away from going to sleep. Yawning herself, as she watched the action bewitching her charges on the big screen TV, Fatima decided to finish the conversation and let Owen go to bed. The Tanisius Family Colony followed a different time zone than Colony L-4 and it showed each time Owen either left to fly home or returned to L-4. He had to adjust each time.

"Owen, since you're so tired I'll let you go. I don't want you to fall asleep while on the phone with me. Go and get some sleep baby, you need it."

"Thanks Fatima. I hate to do this to you but I'm just so tired. I'll call you sometime later this week. I love you, good night.", murmured Owen sleepily.

"Good night darling. I love you too. I'll be waiting for your call.", Fatima returned with a lovers' softness before hanging up.

Owen hung up the phone after Fatima disconnected and headed upstairs. His eyes were fighting to stay open and give him enough time to dim the lights and make his way to his room. Making it into his part of the suite he shared with Morgan, Owen looked across at his bed and decided to not worry about changing into his pajamas. The sweat pants and t-shirt he had on would do fine for sleeping in just this once. Once his head hit the pillow, Owen Richard Tanisius, twenty-three years old drifted off into the land of slumber. And with that, all was quiet in the Tanisius Household.

Several hours later, the only sounds emanating from the Tanisius Mansion were the sounds of the deeply asleep. As the night time symphony crescendoed, a figure attired in black made his way down the hallway towards the family room. His footsteps were quiet and didn't echo throughout the house to wake anyone up. When the figure entered the family room, he stopped and allowed his head to track across the room looking for something or someone. When he saw who he was looking for, a soft sound came from his throat and two heads alertly turned in his direction. They'd been expecting him to show up for some time now and one could tell that it was all they could do to keep their bodies from quivering in excitement. The figure quietly chuckled as he saw the heads turn in his direction.

"I should've guessed you two would be waiting for me by now. I bet you either heard me or scented me waking up and waited for me to arrive.", muttered Devon in a quiet voice as he strode across the family room to the sliding glass door that lead out on the patio and into the large backyard.

Devon reached the door and disarmed the security system before unlocking the door with a soft _'click'_ of its latch. Easing the door open along its track, Devon wasn't surprised at the smoothness the door moved with as he slid it open. Giving another soft whistle, he stepped outside and waited while his two pets, Rhahorus and Isis, followed. Without looking, Devon reached down and patted the soft black fur of both panthers for a bit before straightening up and stretching his long limbs to wash the remnants of sleep away. The bitterly cold air and whirling snow programmed in by the colony's weather division helped banish the last vestiges of sleep from Devon's eyes. Taking a deep breath of and exhaling it, Devon started doing some exercises to keep him in shape and to raise his core body temperature by several degrees.

Wearing a pair of thin black sweat pants and a black short-sleeved shirt to combat the manmade elements, Devon soon found himself working up a light sweat. Finishing his present set of exercises, Devon looked back at Isis and Rhahorus. He could see their excitement and determination. Cracking a big grin, Devon gave the two cats a couple of hands signals followed by some slight verbalizations. He was rewarded when he saw their ears perk up and point inquisitively in his direction. Bending down into a pouncing crouch, Devon leaned forward and gave a quiet growl and saw the two panthers imitate his movements.

Casting a quick glance at the house to see if all was still dark, Devon saw that his family was still asleep. Not wanting to waste anymore time and conscious of the attention spans of his cats, Devon exploded forward in a blur of motion. Within a few yards of his starting point, the assassin was at full stride and just about to reach his top running speed. Behind him, the two panthers loped along behind him still building up steam as their black coats expanded and retracted with each step. If somebody had been watching they would have been astounded at how the bodies of the two big cats and the lone human moved effortlessly atop the snow. The three mammals were conserving their energy, stamina, and strength. Muscles coiled and uncoiled, feet and paws struck the ground with a minimum of noise. The arms and legs of the lone human and the legs of his two running buddies moved in conjunction with each other. It was like watching a trio of fine-tuned mammalian machines expressing their joy at the freedom being awarded to them.

Devon mentally chuckled as he changed direction again and heard Isis and Rhahorus do the same to keep him in pouncing range. This was something he missed doing when he stayed at his apartment. Running free and playing with his pets. This mutual exercise was a combination of fun and exercise. It kept the instincts of Rhahorus and Isis at their peak and trained Devon to enhance his own extraneous senses. The darkness impeded his sight and forced the suspended Preventor to rely on his hearing, his smell, and his feel instead of just using his eyesight and sense of taste. Devon could feel the change in air pressure as it flowed across his skin as he ran. He could hear the synchronized breathing of his cats as they changed direction with him with a minimum of wasted movement, he could smell the sweat starting to roll of his body thus giving his pets another advantage in this chase.

Devon changed direction again and started a zigzag pattern back towards the house and felt the pounding feet of his cats change direction with him. Sensing a change in their location, the sniper knew that Isis and Rhahorus were ready to finish their playtime and let it devolve into their usual after exercise tussling. His senses weren't sharp enough to pick out which of his pets had split of from the trio but Devon knew that one of them had and closed his eyes to allow his other sense free reign to try and figure it out. It wasn't until he was almost back to the patio and felt the hundred plus pounds of pouncing black panther connect with his back was he able to tell which one had ambushed him. Rolling with the sudden addition of weight Devon dropped to the ground and tumbled over onto his back and saw that this time Isis had been the one to spring the ambush and knock him to the ground.

Devon laughed as Rhahorus ran up and, in an exceptional example of feline acrobatics, and added his weight to the pile of human and feline flesh and fur on the ground. Keeping his eyes open and rising to his knees, Devon stared at the two panthers as they crouched and prepared to pounce again. Isis was the first to jump in his direction and Devon met her playful attack head on as her weight collided with his chest and almost knocked the air from his lungs. Since hew as expecting it, Devon shook off the attack and wrapped his arms around the female panther and took her off her feet. Pinning her beneath his body, Devon leaned in and nipped at her neck with his teeth before letting go and allowing Isis to get away and set up for another attack.

Turning to face his older, wiser, bigger, and sneakier pet, Devon prepared for the rough housing he knew was coming his way. He almost didn't complete his turn when almost three hundred pounds of Black Panther smashed into his chest at a considerable rate of speed and bowled him over onto his back. Relaxing a bit as his back hit the ground; Devon used his abilities to turn the roll into a flip that brought him back to his knees. Rotating quickly to track Rhahorus, Devon grumbled good-naturedly as the dark fur of the cat allowed him to almost disappear into the darkness surrounding the house. Taking a deep breath, Devon chuckled and got to his feet so he could use his senses to search for his four-legged furry friend. Unbeknownst to Devon, he had an audience observing the antics between him and his pets.

Devon's sister Jordan stood by the window in the suite of rooms she shared with her older sister and watched as her brother and his two cats continued their play. The nineteen year old college beauty had woken up after experiencing a vivid nightmare that had her breathing hard and sweating bullets. Yanking the sheets off of her body, Jordan had gotten out of bed, donned her favorite robe and house shoes before going downstairs to get a glass of milk to help her get back to sleep. As she'd left the kitchen, Jordan had noticed that the sliding glass door had been opened but not fully closed when a gust of cold air blew into the house.

Confused and wary of a possible intruder, the fourth child of Leopold and Brianna Tanisius had found returned to her room and retrieved one of her suppressed .380 caliber pistols to protect herself and her sister if the intruder made it upstairs to the bedrooms. She'd been crossing in front of the window when she'd seen a flash of movement outside. Curious and wanting to identify the poor bastard who'd had the balls to break in and rob the colony's first family (much less even think about it), Jordan had gone over to her desk and opened the drawer where she remembered she had a pair of night vision binoculars (violently suppressing the memories of her using those binoculars to spy on her sister when she was younger).

Carrying the binoculars to the window, Jordan brought them up to her eyes and focused them on the action going on in the backyard. When the image appeared as bright as day in her eyepieces, Jordan gasped as she recognized her brother Devon as he ran around and played with his cats. Observing for a moment, the youngest Tanisius daughter sighed in happiness as she saw the look of pure bliss on his face. Mentally vowing to remember to play with her cheetah, Jordan entered Adrienne's room and walked over to the queen-sized bed where her big sister snored the remainder of the night away.

Knowing what would happen if she shook Adrienne awake (Adrienne was known for being quick on the trigger when awoken from a deep sleep), Jordan gently tapped her sister on the shoulder. An interrupted snore was her only response. Frowning at that response, Jordan tapped Adrienne's uncovered shoulder harder. The eldest Tanisius child just grunted and turned over onto the shoulder in question.

Gritting her teeth in sisterly frustration, Jordan clasped the other shoulder and squeezed while at the same time using her voice to let Adrienne know who it was attempting to wake her up.

"Addy. Addy wake up! Come on big sis wake up or you'll miss what's going on outside."

"Go 'way Jordan. An stop callin' me Addy! I thought I'd told ya a million times to quit shortening my name, Vicky!", growled Adrienne in her sleep.

Jordan glared at her sister for a minute before letting her binoculars hang from the strap around her neck and grabbing the comforter her sister was presently snuggled under and yanking it off the bed. Much to her embarrassment, Adrienne was sleeping in one of their mothers' almost not there nightgowns. Quickly jumping back from the mattress as her sister woke up and sleepily aimed a devastating punch in her direction, Jordan put her sister in a full nelson and waited for Adrienne to come to full wakefulness and stop struggling. When she did, she released her and stepped back as Adrienne climbed out of the bed with an angry expression on her sleep marred face.

"Jordan Victoria Tanisius, do you know what fucking time it is? After the day I had today I am dead tired and really wanted to get some sleep. You better have a good damn reason for waking me up at 3 in the morning.", growled Adrienne as she hastily tried to wipe the sleep from her eyes while casting a pain-promising glare at her younger sister.

To her credit, Jordan didn't flinch when the look was leveled in her direction. She just grabbed Adrienne's arm and pulled her to the window before handing her the binoculars. Adrienne looked dubiously from the object in her hands to her sister. Jordan saw the confused look and pointed out the window.

"Take a look Adrienne. I had a nightmare and woke up to get something to drink. As I was leaving the kitchen I noticed that the sliding glass door wasn't fully closed and the alarm system was off. I came upstairs and to grab a weapon. However, as I passed the window I caught a glimpse of movement outside and went to find my binoculars. You'll never believe what I saw outside. Now before you ask any questions, take a look outside.", pleaded Jordan quietly.

Grumbling to herself about fidgety sisters who can't allow their elder siblings to sleep, Adrienne put the binocs to her eyes and looked outside. It took her a minute to find what Jordan meant but when she did, Adrienne inhaled and exclaimed at the figure playing around outside. Letting the binocs drop and turning to Jordan, Adrienne asked her a breathless question.

"Is…..is that our brother Devon? Ohmigawd, he looks so…so…so…free and happy! I mean, just look at the smile on his face. It's as if a great weight has been lifted off of his shoulders!", exclaimed Adrienne as she turned back to the window.

"Yes, that is our brother. That's our Devon, the lost cub. Do you see how easily he's moving? Just look at his body, it flows with little wasted effort from one movement to another. It's like he actually is a panther.", answered Jordan as Adrienne nodded in agreement.

"It's just that…_Damn_!! He is sooo fine. Now I see what the V.F.M. sees in him! When he's moving like that, Devon looks like an ebony god. Crap, I almost wish we weren't related right now!", growled Adrienne.

"I know, I feel the same way. Did you see how the women at church ogled him when Papa reintroduced him to the congregation? I was sure I saw their eyes light up with interest as Devon made his way to the pulpit. Damn and a lot of those women are the biggest gossips on the colony!"

"Shit that means that every single woman on the colony eighteen and over will be stopping by the house while he's here! Still, he looks like he's at peace with himself and he sure looks like he's having fun, doesn't he, Jordan?"

"Yeah, I already promised myself that I would get to know my cheetah as well as he knows his panthers. I want that kind of bond.", replied Jordan as she crossed her arms and leaned against the window frame while watching the movements of the trio outside.

Adrienne nodded to herself as she pressed her forehead against the cold pane of glass. With the binoculars to her eyes, she could see that her brother was wearing only a short sleeved t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. This was a moment she wanted to catch on film to cherish forever. Making a decision, Adrienne handed the binoculars to her sister and left their suite of rooms. Jordan looked in askance as Adrienne headed down the hallway to the master bedroom. Shrugging her shoulders and returning her attention to the trio frolicking outside in the snow, she pushed the thoughts of what could possibly happen to her sister out of her mind.

Down the hall in front of the master bedroom, Adrienne took a deep breath. She knew that what she was about to do could get her in serious trouble with her parents but she decided that the pros about waking her parents up to see their son outweighed the cons of waking the patriarch and matriarch of the family up from a deep sleep. Taking the door knob in her hand and slowly twisting it and opening the door, the eldest daughter of the clan stepped into the massive master bedroom and padded over to the king sized bed where her parents slept on soundless feet. Deciding to wake her father up first, Adrienne went to his side of the bed and placed a hand on his shoulder. Adrienne knew that if she attempted to wake up her mother first, it wouldn't go well. At least with her father awake, he could keep her mother from sleepily lashing out with the always sharp stiletto Adrienne knew she kept under her pillow.

"Daddy, wake up daddy.", Adrienne called while trying to roust her sleeping father.

Leopold Tanisius had been having a good dream until he felt himself being shaken. Opening his eyes, the former assassin allowed them to adjust to the darkness as he looked around trying to pinpoint the source of the shaking and the voice he was hearing in his ear. Feeling a weight on his chest, Leo looked down and saw that his wife was happily snoozing away as she pillowed her head in its usual spot. Looking around to see the interloper, Leo turned his head to the right and saw his eldest child standing next to the bed.

"Adrienne do you know what time it is and what will happen if you wake up your mother now? What is it you want?", complained Leo as he sat up.

"Dad, I'm sorry for waking you up. There's something I wanna show you outside.", stated Adrienne while looking at the floor.

Leo sighed as he saw his daughter hang her head. Wondering what it was that would cause her to wake him, the fifty-six year old head of the family started to reach behind the headrest for what he kept on the floor back there but stopped when Adrienne shook her head and told him he wouldn't need it.

"Leave whatever it is you have hidden there dad, you won't need it. You might want to get your camera though."

"Hmmm? Camera, why would I need a camera?"

"Devon's outside playing with his cats and he has such a carefree expression on his face that I thought you'd want to see."

Leo lifted an eyebrow at that and decided that this would be worth a look. Gently lifting Brianna's head from where it rested on his chest, he laid it on the stack of pillow his wife usually slept on. Turning back to face his daughter, Leo-now able to fully see what she was wearing-lifted quirked an eyebrow at her attire. Adrienne saw the tick and had the wherewithal to look sheepish. Shaking his leonine head and muttering something not quite too complimentary, Leopold climbed out of bed and headed for the enormous window. Behind him, Adrienne whirled around in embarrassment as she realized the main reason why her father had been in such a deep sleep.

Ignoring the hastily muttered apologies from his daughter, Leo looked outside and gazed at the antics of Devon and his pets. Behind him, Adrienne saw a soft smile appear on his face that she remembered from times past. Deciding to take the better part of valor and quietly exit the den of her parents, Adrienne started to slowly back away only to come to a stop when a familiar and somewhat menacing (in Adrienne's mind) sound floated to her ears. Wincing and turning her attention to the figure of her mother stretched out on the bed, Adrienne was demoralized to see a pair of soft green eyes staring intently at the nightgown she was wearing.

"There are two things I want to know right now before you take another step towards that door, young lady. First, what are you doing in my room this early in the morning? And second, why are you wearing one of my nightgowns?", came the voice of Brianna Etienne Tanisius in a tone that Adrienne knew all too well.

Adrienne sighed in resignation before explaining her reason for wearing one of her mother's nightgowns. The entire time she was giving her explanation, the twenty-five year old businesswoman and assassin remained well out of the reach of her predecessor; Brianna 'The Lioness' Tanisius.

Within twenty minutes of the short discussion between mother and daughter, the entire Tanisius household was awake (with two notable exceptions).

While their Aunt Adrienne was explaining her choice of night attire to their grandmother (and then again to their great grandmother who definitely wasn't happy about being woken up by Adrienne wearing one of Brianna's nightgowns), Silesia and Millennia Tanisius (nee Wildstar) happily dreamt the night away.

After a brisk two hours of playing with his cats, Devon reentered the house. As he closed and relocked the sliding glass door and reset the security system, Devon became aware that he was being observed from the staircase. Turning around to face his observers, the twenty-one year old sniper was startled when a bright flash temporarily lit the room up. Blinking his eyes to clear the after images, Devon started to swear until he saw the reason for the flash. Standing on the staircase with a camera in his hands was the patriarch of the clan. Leo grinned at Devon as he wound the camera again and prepared to snap another photo.

"Awww dad, you brought the camera out. Come on, I still don't like being the subject in a picture. Can you put the camera away please?", grumbled Devon as he headed for the stairs.

"You can blame your sisters for this one, son. If you didn't like being in pictures you shouldn't have gotten up to frolic in the snow with your pets. Jordan saw that you had left the door open slightly when she came downstairs to get a drink. She reacted like a true Tanisius and went looking for a weapon until she looked out the window and saw you. She woke up Adrienne to show her the scene. Adrienne came and woke me up a few minutes later. Of course, Adrienne being Adrienne, your sister couldn't escape from the master bedroom when my dear wife woke up and questioned your sister about her reason for being in the master bedroom at this time in the morning _and _having the chutzpah to be wearing one of your mother's nightgowns. I hate to think about what your grandmother had to say about that.", retorted Leo as he took another picture before starting back up the stairs.

"Oh great, Adrienne getting talked to by grandmother after waking her up in the morning does not bode well for me. I might as well stay down here and sleep."

Leo laughed at his son's statement before looking back down the stairs.

"Don't worry about it, son. Everyone's returned to bed for now. After watching your actions for the past hour or so, they were exhausted and returned to dreamland. I'm still up because I just had to get those pictures for the family album. I got some good video of your actions as well: especially when Isis caught you by surprise while you were tussling with Rhahorus shortly before you tripped over your own feet. Oh, I bet everyone's gonna enjoy watching that tumble over and over again.", teased Leopold before he vanished as he neared the top of the stairs.

Devon grumbled a bit more before shrugging his shoulders in resignation and heading into the kitchen to partake of an ice cold glass of water to quell the flash of embarrassment warmth he felt spreading through his body. Once he was finished with his drink, the young man headed for his room where he had his second laptop open to his email account. Seeing that Sylvia had sent him an email with several attachments, Devon opened it up to read the message. He stopped midway through the letter when the first attached photos finished loading. A lifted eyebrow was his only visible reaction to the risqué pictures until he grabbed his headset and plugged it into the data-transfer port on the side of the laptop case and hurriedly dialed Sylvia's direct number at Noventa Manor. After a few heart wrenching moments punctuated by a change in his breathing patterns as he scrolled through the remaining photos, his call was answered. From the awareness in Sylvia's voice, Devon knew she'd been expecting his call around this time.

"Hello."

"Hello my dark sniper lover-man! By the rapid intake of breath and the fact that it is quite early in the morning wherever you are, I take it that you just got the email and are seeing the picture 'essay' I emailed you.", came the coquettish voice of his lover from Noventa Manor.

Devon nearly choked on his words as he scrolled through the next series of photos that exposed how extremely 'limber' the Thirteenth Noventa Baroness was much to her amusement. When he got his voice back, Devon surmised that Sylvia had gone Christmas shopping and bought herself a few new 'outfits' to tempt him with when he returned home. Sylvia had admitted that she had gone shopping but said that she'd gone with her grandmother whose sense of style was a bit eclectic. Sylvia also stated that The Eleventh Baroness of the Noventa Barony was responsible for the more risqué items in Sylvia's boudoir.

"Oh yeah, we ran into both of the Peacecraft Princesses while we were out. And Noin parted with the most closely guarded secret among Peacecraft Palace. This secret is so secret neither Zechs nor Heero know it. Even that grandmaster prankster Duo Maxwell is in the dark about this.", Sylvia said excitedly.

Devon, who had guessed the secret awhile back, took the bait.

"Really, what is this super top secret, secret that the princess is keeping from her husband and brother-in-law? Is it the secret that she's pregnant?", replied Devon.

He grinned as he recognized Sylvia's audible pout on the other end of the line. He could tell she wanted to be the one to break the news to him. When she asked how in the hell did he know the secret when nobody else (not even her sister-in-law) knew, Devon could only give an answer that sounded comedic.

"Elementary my dear Vice Foreign Minister, Elementary!"

"Smartass!!", retorted Sylvia.

"It was actually fairly easy to figure out once you get right down to it. You'll kick yourself for not noticing earlier. Princess Lucrezia has been canceling a lot of personal appearances lately. If one were naturally curious and liked to dig into stuff to find things out, he or she would have seen that the majority of the appearances Noin canceled were ones where she would've been standing and giving a speech or where she would be appearing on days when Dr. Po was busy. I've also noticed that the bold style she was known for during the First Gundam War is not as prevalent as it once was. I put two and two together and figured that she had something to hide. I just ran down my mental list of what it could possibly be and came up with the strongest possibility.", replied Devon as he leaned back against the headboard.

Sylvia fumed at her boyfriend's sense of reasoning while she gave a catlike stretch across her queen-sized bed. She wasn't particularly fond of his occasional superior attitude when he figured something out before she did. It happened a lot when they were able to go out to the movies as a couple (he wearing his 'Ivan Wildstar' eye-patch to keep up the farce that she was dating the reclusive multi-billionaire businessman who was rarely in town) and she couldn't figure the plot of the movie until near the end of the show. Devon usually figured it out within the first forty-five minutes.

Looking at the screen of her laptop and noticing that her beloved had yet to activate the visual part of the program, Sylvia sighed. She was wearing one of her new purchases and wanted to see his reaction to it. This outfit was the most revealing of the ones she bought the other day as a Christmas present to herself (the outfit in question was so revealing that her grandmother had gotten old-fashioned and almost banned her successor to the Noventa Barony from ever wearing it).

On his family's colony, Devon heard Sylvia's sigh and wondered what caused it. Gazing out the window, the sniper caught sight of the flashing red light that indicated that the other party had activated the visual feed from their end of the connection. Activating his own feed, Devon returned his gaze to the window. It took a few seconds for the activated visual feed to appear on his screen so he figured that he could finish his stargazing before seeing his girlfriend in the flesh (okay not 'in the flesh per se' but you get the idea). However, when he returned his attention to the screen, all thoughts about stargazing or anything else fled from his mind to be replaced by his more primal thoughts. Namely, wishing she were here now and how quick he could get her out of the outfit she was wearing; or to be more precise, how quickly he could get her out of the filmy little nothing scrap of materials covering her treasures. The semi-transparent scraps of fabric could be called an outfit in the broadest (the very broadest) stretch of the definition.

Sylvia saw Devon's eyes go wide; wider than she'd ever seen them go before and his breathing noticeably changed. She rejoiced in the effect she and her……outfit had on the young sniper.

"Do you like?", Sylvia asked coyly.

For some odd reason it seemed that his throat had tightened up and was preventing him from speaking. All Devon could do was nod, which he did quite vigorously, much to Sylvia's amusement. Her delicate peal of laughter rang out over the line and he could feel the heat rushing to his face again. Knowing that with his light brown skin, he was partial to the occasional blush, Devon ducked his head down to hide his flushed cheeks and the telltale splash of dusky red that suddenly appeared.

"I could tell what you were thinking just then, my love. And I can say, I don't blame you a bit! Just wait till our vacation. When we aren't out hunting, I have several ideas about how we can spend the time and the outfits to go with the time we plan to spend together.", teased Sylvia again as she took a deep breath and stretched her arms over her head knowing what it would do to him.

_**"Dammit, she's doing this to me on purpose. She knows she's doing it and she couldn't care less. If she and that…outfit of hers were here right now, I'd be lost. Hell, she's several thousand miles away and I'm still lost. Right now with her dressed like that, I want to be there rather than here. I want to be there extricating her out of the flimsy little nothing and ravishing her body till we both were exhausted!", **__ thought Devon as his imagination ran wild with what he could be doing at that very moment if he was at Noventa Manor or she was on the colony._

Sylvia watched with rapt fascination as her boyfriends' triple x-rated thoughts fled across his face at the speed of light. She was about to comment more on his apparent distraction when her ears detected the soft sound of footsteps approaching her room. Recognizing the steps as those of her cousin Dyane, Sylvia swore sulpheriously under her breath. She did not want her cousin finding out about the relationship between her and the sniper. Dyane was still nursing her crush on the young man and if she tumbled to the fact that her cousin was intimately involved with her crush, she would do everything she could to break it up and take Devon for herself and there was no way in the deepest, darkest levels of hell Sylvia was going to let anyone take her man away from her.

"Devon, honey; I have to go for now. My cousin Dyane is snooping around the manor trying to find out about my personal life again. I don't want her finding out about us right now, maybe when she's mature enough to accept it and not get pissed off at me.", stated Sylvia as she leaned against the headboard of her bed.

"I understand, Sylvia. It would be better for her to find out later. From what you've told me about your cousin, she seems like quite the vindictive little vixen and who knows what she'd pull if she found out about us."

"Yeah, besides its getting late and I'm still recovering from The Annual Noventa Manor Christmas Ball my grandmother throws every year. I'll talk to you later and see you when you get home. I love you, Devon. Goodnight.", Sylvia said earnestly.

"Goodnight love. Go ahead and get your rest and I'll call again soon. Love you too and Merry Christmas.", replied Devon absently.

Sylvia's breath caught in her throat. Did her beloved sniper man actually say what she'd been waiting to hear for the past few months? Those three little words that gave her pleasant dreams and made her tingle all over when she spoke them aloud.

_**"He did say 'love you too' did he? Even if it was a bit apathetic, he still did say those words I've been waiting so long to hear? What'll I do, what'll I say, what should I do now that I've heard those words from him. Should I play it off as if I didn't hear them or should I bring them to his attention?"**__, Sylvia thought frantically as she gazed at the computer image of her beloved._

Shaking herself out of her verbally induced trance she'd put herself into after hearing those words, Sylvia returned Devon's wishes before disconnecting the line. Shutting down her laptop's communications program, Sylvia opened up another screen that displayed her non-official email messages and was ready when her cousin knocked on her door.

"Come in, Dyane. The door's open."

"Thanks, Sylvia."

"What brings you around this late at night? You're usually asleep by now."

"I couldn't sleep and was just sitting in the family room thinking."

Sylvia nodded as she sat back and waited for her cousin to get around to what brought her up her in the first place. She believed she had an inkling of what Dyane wanted to talk about but decided to wait and let her cousin get around to broaching the subject.

Back on his family's colony, Devon thought back to his conversation with Sylvia and wondered about the little hitch in her throat she had before she ended the conversation and disconnected. It took him a few minutes to replay the last parts of the conversation in his head before he realized what she was reacting too. When it became apparent to him, Devon blanched and his imagination went rampant with the myriad of images of the effect those three words could have on their relationship.

"Do I or do I not love her? I just don't know. I know she loves me as many times as she's told me that since we've been involved. Ah great, this'll bother me for the rest of the night. Screw it, I'll talk to dad and Owen tomorrow about this situation and see what they say.", muttered Devon as he shut down his laptop and stripped off his sweat pants.

Climbing out of bed and walking across the room to grab a pair of shorts and turn out the light, Devon felt the return of his tiredness and yawned. Checking the clock and seeing that it was nearing six in the morning, Devon hoped that somebody in his family would be awake to handle his daughters when they woke up. He figured that after how busy it had been on Christmas Day, the family would want to do nothing but relax and stay at home so as to enjoy the closeness of family for a bit before allowing family friends and extended family members to visit their home for the eventual after Christmas Family Reunion.

Closing his eyes as laying his head on the pillows after putting his glasses on the nightstand, Devon wondered how he would react to the site of seeing all of the cousins he remembered from before his kidnapping and how they would react to seeing him. He was both looking forward to the meetings and dreading them. Devon was also worried about how the rest of the extended Tanisius Family would take to his daughters. He hadn't been happy with some of the reactions from some of the family members he saw at church but had put them out of his mind. Now those worries came back with a great ferocity and he hoped that Silesia and Millennia bowled over their possible detractors with their politeness and their abilities. Devon could guess that Adrienne, as acting head of the family business, was already devising positions in the company when her nieces were old enough to get part-time jobs. Of course, Devon (as Ivan Wildstar) already had them listed as project managers with his company Wildstar Technologies Unlimited. And with those thoughts rampaging through his mind, Devon let the comforting arms of Mr. Sandman take him away to dreamland.

Eventually, as with all good things, the week and a half long vacation with their family came to an end and Devon, Silesia, and Millennia found themselves reboarding the Tanisius Security Technologies LTD Executive Shuttle that had carried them to the colony. With its holds full of Christmas gifts from their family as well as some of those who lived on the colony, bystanders could see that the shuttle sat heavily on its landing gear.

Devon gazed at the shuttle while standing with his parents and watching his siblings as they said their goodbyes to their nieces; outwardly he was looking calm and enjoying the touching scene while inwardly his mind was running through all of the calculations he would need to pilot the fully loaded shuttle back to Earth. It was going to take a masterful touch to lift off from the shuttleports' runway and maneuver through the airlock into space. Finishing his mental calculations just as his sister walked up, Devon caught the knowing smirk on her face and sighed.

The morning after Christmas the family had been sitting down for brunch when the doorbell rang. Adrienne had left the dining room to answer the bell and had returned with a smirk of superiority on her face. When he saw her smug look focusing in his direction, Devon had felt slightly uncomfortable as he cut another piece from his omelet with his fork and eaten it. When asked who was at the door, Adrienne had answered that it was one of the single women on the colony asking if 'Master Devon' was available for a friendly get together celebrating his return to the colony later. Brianna had given Devon a look that spoke wonders before sighing and returning her attention to her plate.

Before his grandmother could even look in his direction from her position at the other end of the breakfast table, Devon had hurriedly risen from his seat and gone to see his guest. When he followed Adrienne into the other room to greet the guest, Devon had stopped cold. At that point he knew that Adrienne was going to start her 'protective older sister' scheming. All he could do was gaze at Adrienne with a look of intense displeasure. Of course Adrienne didn't acknowledge his gaze and continued looking as innocent as an angel (the Tanisius sisters had-somehow- picked up the look of complete innocent from their mother).

In addition to the one woman, Adrienne had conveniently neglected to inform her brother that there were an additional fourteen young women in his age bracket vying for his undivided attention.

When Devon had brought this up, the family reactions had been unexpected. Owen had cursed, Morgan had looked as if he wanted to hide, and Jordan laughed uproariously while his parents and grandmother had studiously ignored his bleats of outrage. Millennia and her sister didn't know what to make of the situation so they just cast confused glances around the table before returning their attention to their plates.

Grandmother Brianna sure knew how to make the best waffles ever.

Standing on the tarmac, Devon choked back a chuckle as he remembered the attempts by the women of the colony to get his attention. A few enterprising young ladies (with help, he suspected, from his sisters) had managed to make their way into the off-limits part of the family home where they were caught by his mother and grandmother. Jordan and Adrienne expressed their innocence (of course) in 'assisting' the perpetrators when confronted about it by their brother after the house had been cleared.

"Adrienne I know that either you or Jordan were the ones who let those women in the house the other night", commented Devon as his sister walked up to him as he stood next to their parents.

"Who me; I wouldn't do something like that dear brother. I know that my darling younger sister wouldn't do anything like that either.", Adrienne replied in a faux innocent voice.

Devon sighed as his 'dear sister' again denied having anything to do with the events of that night before returning his attention to his daughters as they chatted with the new friends they'd made on the colony. The sniper narrowed his eyes behind his ever-present glasses as he watched as some of the participants in that night's activities discussed him with his daughters. He thought he had made it clear to the women that his daughters were off-limits in their futile pursuit of him. Devon started to storm over in the direction of the scheming women when he felt something on his shoulder. Looking back, Devon saw that his mother had placed a hand there to arrest his movement. Knowing that if he attempted to continue his motions, the deceptive strength that lay hidden in his mothers' svelte and petite form would come to the fore and in addition to a heavy load, Devon would have a bruised shoulder to deal with while piloting the shuttle home.

"Let it go, Devon. They must know that they're attempts to convince Silesia and Millennia to talk about you will be futile. They're just saving face in front of the others. Besides, if you'd observe the proceedings a bit before acting, you'd see that those women are just expressing their hope that your twins return to the colony so they could give them a more in-depth tour of the place.", commented Brianna as she felt the tension bubbling just beneath the surface of his skin.

"Alright mom, I'll let it drop this once but if I find out from Silesia and Millennia that those women had more than just a passing interest in them, they will pay for it."

"You don't worry your pretty little head about that. Your grandmother and I will make sure that the conversation doesn't change from the subject at hand. Are you going to let the twins come here for their Spring Break?"

"Yes. I might as well. They like it here and if they spent it at home on Earth, there would be no end to the press camping out in my yard and watching how the two of them interact with Vice Foreign Minister Noventa.", answered Devon.

"Not to mention that it would give Baroness Sylvia and yourself some privacy.", teased Leo as he rubbed his son's head with a massive palm.

"Oh fer cryin' out loud Dad, our relationship isn't like that!", exclaimed Devon as he felt the familiar burn of embarrassment.

"Oh, it isn't? Then something's not right. The V.F.M. is attractive and powerful. And she comes from one of the more prominent families of the old Romafeller Foundation. She's also in line to become the next Noventa Baroness when her grandmother, Baroness Sophia Ophelia Noventa either steps down or, god forbid, passes away. It would be a marriage greater than the Catalonia-Winner marriage, the scion of the Noventa Family marrying the middle son of the First Family of Assassination. Son, don't let her go. Baroness Sylvia Rene Noelle Noventa is very beautiful. If I remember correctly, Noventa is one of the Twenty-Five most beautiful women in the Earth Sphere United Nation. However, let me change the subject before something happens. Your mother isn't looking happy right now.", replied Leopold as he saw the glint of anger in his wife's green eyes.

Devon laughed as he watched his father suffer from a storm of blows from h is mother as she reminded her husband that his occasional teasing comments weren't greatly appreciated at the moment. The sniper noticed that even though Brianna had pulled some of her punches, his father still winced whenever he felt a punch that wasn't pulled. When all the hilarity died down, Devon noticed that Adrienne was no longer standing nearby. Looking around the area, he spotted his older sister embracing a young man a few yards away.

_**"Hmm, oh that must be her fiancé, I haven't met him yet. He didn't show up at the house at all while I was here. Even when mom and dad invited a lot of the population over to the house for a bit a couple days after Christmas.", **__thought Devon as he started to make his way in the direction of the embracing couple. _

Behind their son, Leopold and Brianna watched as he headed in Adrienne' direction. Like Devon, they too had wondered why the young man hadn't put in an appearance at the house to meet Devon and his daughters. It was unlike him. Adrienne's fiancé usually made it up to the house once or twice a week. Casting concerned looks at each other, the two proud parents observed the developing interplay.

Oblivious to the approach of her younger brother, Adrienne leaned further into the kiss her fiancé was giving her. Now that her brother had been found, the plans for her marriage to her fiancé could go forward to its culmination. In his arms, Adrienne could feel the relief he had felt since she'd called him while she was at the office on Christmas Day and informed them that she'd found her missing younger brother and that he was presently on the colony.

Pulling away from the warmth of his lips, Adrienne shivered when she felt her fiancé's roaming hands grab and squeeze her ass. She was used to that and loved it when the strong hands of her fiancé gave her a massage. Adrienne's happiness was interrupted by the discreet clearing of a throat and a familiar voice.

"Pardon me, but I don't believe I've met you yet. I'm Devon Tanisius, Adrienne's younger brother. Who are you?", said Devon.

Adrienne could hear the slight hostility in Devon's voice as she whirled around to face him. When she faced her brother fully, she couldn't see the emotion flashing in his bespectacled eyes. Feeling her fiancé grip her hand tighter, the head of Tanisius Security Technologies LTD's planet bound headquarters gently extricated her hand from his after giving it a slight squeeze.

"I'm sorry Devon. I forgot to introduce you. This is my fiancé, Xavier Barkley. He's one of the department heads for the family business here on the colony and works under mom and dad on occasion. Xavier, this is my younger brother Devon Tanisius. Xavier, Devon is a Preventor Agent on Earth and occasionally instructs at the Preventors Academy.", squeaked Adrienne.

Devon gazed unflinchingly at the man who was engaged to h is sister while extending his hand. When he saw that his gaze subtly unnerved the other man, Devon felt that he had accomplished something. Shaking Xavier's hand Devon told his soon to be brother in law that it was nice to meet him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well Mr. Tanisius. Since Adrienne and I have been dating, she used to talk about you all the time. It got to the point where I was wondering if I would have to compete with you for her affections for the rest of our lives.", responded Xavier in an unbelievingly annoying tenor.

Devon just nodded at let the man ramble on for a few more moments before politely cutting him off with a nod. Extracting his hand Devon turned to his sister and smiled. However, Adrienne could tell that it wasn't one of Devon's genuine smiles. It was more of a half smile that didn't reach Devon's eyes. That look put Adrienne on guard and she wondered what caught Devon's disapproval. Shaking her head, Adrienne told herself not to worry about it right now. She didn't care what Devon thought. Xavier was her fiancé and come hell or high water, she was going to marry him.

"Congratulations Adrienne. He seems like a nice guy. It looks like you have a good man there, sister dear. I'm happy for you.", commented Devon as he gave his sister a hug.

Hearing the not so hidden disapproval in her brother's voice, Adrienne let it slide and accepted the hug in the spirit it was given while thanking her brother for his kind words. Stepping back from her brother, Adrienne watched as Devon turned to her fiancé and leaned in closer to him as if to pass on a men-only secret.

Devon leaned in and beckoned to Xavier. When the other man had leaned in far enough so that the words he was about to speak weren't heard by his sister, Devon quietly spoke.

"Next time I catch you squeezing my sisters' ass at a family gathering, I will not hesitate to deal with you in a manner most befitting your lapse in good judgment. Don't let it happen again. Do we understand each other?", Devon stated while exerting an astounding amount of painful pressure on the man's hand.

Devon saw Xavier wince and released the pressure. It wouldn't do to have Adrienne pissed off at him for breaking her fiancé's hand Seeing Xavier trying to mask his pain under a smile, Devon let go and stepped back from the other man. Seeing Xavier's subtle nod of understanding, Devon shifted his attention to his watch and saw that it was nearing the departure time for his daughters and himself. Calling the twins over from where they were standing with their Uncle Morgan and chatting with his friends, Devon informed them that it was time for them to board the shuttle. They dilly-dallied for a bit before acceding to his wishes and scampering up the shuttles' boarding stairs after hugging their grandparents, great-grandmother, and all of their uncles and aunts good bye.

Devon watched the pair climb the stairs until he felt a tap on his shoulder. Swinging his head to look, he saw that it was one of the ground crewmen who had helped with the loading of the shuttle. In his hands were the ends of the two leashes keeping his pair of panthers from running amok around the shuttleport. Behind him, Devon heard the crowd of well-wishers express their astonishment at the diamond studded collars gracing the necks of Rhahorus and Isis. Accepting the leashes from the young man, Devon turned to his parents to say his goodbyes but the words caught in his throat as he witnessed the tears Brianna refused to shed glinting in the corner of her proud eyes. Feeling the firm hand of his father on his shoulder, Devon turned to Leo and saw that his parents understood what he wanted to say but couldn't.

"Don't worry about it son. We'll see you again, either here on the colony or on Earth. Even if your mother and grandmother can't say it, all of us are proud of you. We're thankful that you're alive and well and have a successful life. We are also proud of the responsibility you assigned yourself in taking care of our granddaughters. You've done a good job with them. You and they are the future of this family, as are your sisters and brothers. Take care and we'll see you in a couple of months for Adrienne's wedding. Have a safe trip son.", stated Leopold.

"Don't forget to call us when you land, Devon. We'll be waiting for it. And we expect you to keep an eye on Morgan as he studies at the St. Gabriel's Institute. If he needs a good swift kick in the butt because of his grades, I expect you'll take care of that.", added Brianna as she gave her son a hug.

"I'll take care of that when it's needed mom. Thanks for those words dad. I will call when we land back on Earth."

"You'd better or I'm gonna take the first shuttle to Earth and reprimand you for forgetting.", growled Gwendolyn as she embraced her prodigal grandson.

Devon nodded and stepped back. After exchanging a few words with his siblings and telling Morgan he'd be there to meet him when he returned to school from Christmas vacation, Devon started climbing the shuttle's boarding stairs. Once he was in the door of the cabin airlock, Devon turned around and faced his family. Behind them, the sniper could see the colony's police force keeping the populace back from the family as they stood at the bottom of the steps, allowing them this moment of family time.

Releasing Isis and Rhahorus into the cabin, Devon called Silesia and Millennia over to the hatch. Together the three of them waved to their family and the crowd there to witness their departure. As they waved, the father and daughters heard a loud cheer given by the crowd. Then with one last smile and wave, Devon entered the shuttle and closed the hatch.

"Alright you two get Rhahorus and Isis settled in. It's going to be a long flight home. Once those two are situated, come on up to the flight deck. Just this once I'll let the two of you experience a shuttle takeoff from up here. However, once we're through the airlock and out in space, the two of you have to return to your seats in the cabin. Is that understood?", stated Devon as he busied himself with checking his instruments.

"Yes father. We understand.", replied the twins.

Outside the shuttle, Brianna and Leopold moved their family over to one of the electric trucks that rumbled around the shuttleport. As Devon taxied the shuttle towards the runway, they were going to take the truck over to airlock and watch as Devon made the transition from the atmosphere of the colony to the vacuum of space. It was only a few minutes before the family had to don ear protection as Devon started the engines on the shuttle.

Inside the shuttle, Devon was in contact with the tower. In the tower was the same man who'd been on duty when he landed.

"Tanisius Colony Control, this is T.S.T Limited Executive Shuttle Three Alpha requesting clearance to taxi for launch."

"T.S.T Shuttle Three Alpha, This is Colony Control. You're cleared to taxi out of Sector One-Zulu to runway Three-Four Left. Once on runway Three-Four Left, you are cleared for takeoff and departure through Airlock Echo."

"Copy that Colony Control. Shuttle Three Alpha cleared out of Sector One-Zulu to runway Three-Four Left. Once on runway, Shuttle Three Alpha cleared for take-off and departure through airlock Echo, Three Alpha copies. Colony Control, thanks for the service and we'll see you next time."

"Three Alpha; you're welcome. It's our job here to make sure your trip is a pleasant one. Have a safe trip and we'll see you in a few months. Tanisius Colony Control out."

"T.S.T. Shuttle Three Alpha out.", replied Devon as he pushed the shuttles throttles to minimum power to get the shuttle moving.

On the ramp, the Tanisius Family and almost every resident on the colony watched as the decoratively painted shuttle moved along the taxiway in its slow and stately manner. When it reached the end of the taxiway and turned on to the active runway, the shuttle stopped for a moment. The crowd cheered as the shuttle pilot caused the streamlined spacecraft to bob on its nose gear as if bowing. Once the extraneous movement had stopped, four shuttleport fire engines pulled up on each side of the runway. In the cockpit, Devon arched an eyebrow in confusion as he wondered what the fire engines were for. Putting it out of his mind, the Preventor sniper pushed the throttles forward to the stops and released the brakes.

With the brakes released the shuttle started moving down the runway, picking up speed with each passing second. Aboard the number one fire engine, the chief of the colony fire department waited for the right moment. When it came, he activated his radio handset and barked out a series of orders.

With one eye on his airspeed indicator and one eye on the runway, Devon was a bit startled to see a watery mist appear in front of him. It took him a second to realize what it was and when he did, the sniper figured out why the fire engines were there. Going along with the show, Devon flipped on all of the shuttles running lights for the gathered crowd. The effect was so breathtaking that the crowd ceased their cheering for a moment to watch as the brightly lit shuttle thundered down the runway and through the curtain of illuminated water being thrown forth by the high pressure water washdown nozzles situated on the tops of the fire engines and manned by the firemen.

Over in the family gathering, Leopold M. Tanisius glowed with fatherly pride His once prodigal son was receiving the honor he should have been afforded when he landed two weeks previously. The colony residents were celebrating the fact that their 'ruling family' was complete once again.

Out of the corner of his left eye, Leo could see the tears of pride running down the faces of his mother, wife, and daughters. Even though Devon was leaving them again, he and his daughters would be back.

_**"And when the three of them return, the turnout for that celebration will far outweigh the turnout for his departure. I vow today on the healed souls of my family that when Devon, Silesia, and Millennia return here, I will have the entire colony on hand to great them. Even if I have to declare that day a holiday.", **__the patriarch of the Tanisius Clan mentally promised. _

Leopold returned his attention to the departing shuttle as it glittered and gleamed in the mist with all its lights ablaze in time to see the shuttle's nose gear start to lift off from the runway and to hear a loud 'hurrah' from the crowd. When the main gear of the shuttle followed suit and lifted off the steel tarmac, Leopold made sure that his voice was heard over everyone else's as he led his family and the crowd in three cheers.

As the shuttle started to disappear into the airlock, many in the crowd broke away and ran over to the large transparent plastisteel windows to catch a glimpse of the Tanisius Security Technologies Limited Executive Shuttle Three Alpha transition from the airlock into the cold vacuum of space for its transit back to Earth. Many in the crowd hoped, wished, and prayed that Shuttle Three Alpha did its duty and carried the second son of the second wealthiest family in the Earth Sphere United Nation and his burgeoning family home safely. Those residents prayed that in a few months time, T.S.T. Limited Executive Shuttle Three Alpha would retrace its flight path and bring the twenty-one year old heir and his eleven year old mismatched adopted twin daughters back to the colony to participate in and celebrate the nuptials of the eldest Tanisius child.

Aboard the shuttle, Devon attended to his instruments and set up his autopilot to perform the calculations that would give itself the correct flight paths to navigate for Earth. Knowing it would take several hours before the family to even reach Earth orbit, Devon rose from his seat and headed back into the cabin. He wanted to spend some time with his daughters before they went to sleep. Entering the main cabin, he saw that the twins were splitting their attention between the sight of the colony owned by their adopted family outside the viewport and the entertainment center where the first information disc about their family played. Their Grandmother wanted Silesia and Millennia to come up to speed on the traditions and heritage of their new family as well as learn about their new cousins. Brianna had figured that Devon had given the twins the benefit of his knowledge but some of that knowledge was seriously outdated.

Deciding not to bother the twins, Devon entered the galley to prepare a quick meal to replenish the energy spent during the impromptu festival brought about by their impending departure. Retrieving his chosen ingredients from the restocked larder, Devon stepped over to a counter and started putting together a trio of deli-style sandwiches for them to eat. They'd had a light breakfast with their relatives that morning. Finishing the hoagies, he turned his attention to preparing a salad. Once the food was prepared, Devon carried the three plates over to a table and deposited the plates accordingly. Going back into the galley, Devon reached back into the refrigerator, grabbed the sealed carafe of orange juice, and filled three tall glasses before replacing the juice and returning to the table. Once the glasses were situated, Devon reentered the galley and stepped over to the sink to wash his hands. Drying them on a handy towel (with the Tanisius Security Technologies, Limited logo embroidered on it), Devon headed for his seat.

"Silesia, Millennia come to the table. Time to eat.", Devon called to the twins as he sat down.

The two preteens paused the video they were watching and turned their attention away from the viewport as the colony disappeared behind the shuttle and entered the small dining area. Once through the door, they took their seats at the table. Before they got comfortable, their father gave them a familiar look. It took them a second to realize what the look meant but when they did; they went and washed their own hands. They returned to the table and saw the unspoken praise their father gave them before he returned to his sandwich.

As they ate, the conversation casually drifted between them. Devon was mostly listening as his daughters expressed their interest and excitement at some of the sights they'd seen on the colony and wondered why he hadn't mentioned it to them before. He replied by saying that it had been a long time since he was last on the colony and couldn't remember it well enough to describe it. Although he did remember a good deal more than he gave himself credit for. When the food was finished and the dishes had been taken care of, the three returned to the cabin and sat down to watch another disk about the colony.

Devon watched for a bit before telling the girls he had to return to the controls. As he turned to go, his youngest adopted daughter asked him a question.

"Dad, I know that when we make it back to Earth it is going to be fairly late at night and you're going to be too tired to drive back home but I'm wondering what we're going to do. Are we going over to Wildstar Tower and spend the remainder of the night there?", asked Millennia.

"I appreciate your concern for my wellbeing and in most cases you'd be right. However, tonight we're not going to be staying at the apartment in Wildstar Tower, I've made arrangements to stay somewhere else tonight. I'm not going to tell you where, though. It'll be a surprise.", teased Devon as he entered the cockpit.

Millennia frowned as she realized that her father had given her one of his evasive answers and cast a look at her older sister. She saw that Silesia had caught the same vibe as she had and had figured out that their father again wanted them to figure his answer out. It was a game they played before and usually they enjoyed it. In fact these verbal jousting games where their father would evade the question were extremely fun and did forced the twins to think and figure out what their father wasn't saying. Usually they figured it out, but sometimes they had problems getting to the answer their father wanted. They didn't realize it but that familial jousting had brought the level of their reasoning skills up to the level of college sophomores. All of their professors at St. Gabriel's were extremely impressed with their ability to figure out correct answers to some of the hardest questions on their exams. When they did, Silesia and Millennia pushed their classmates to improve their own grades.

There were even rumors making the rounds of the institute faculty and staff that the soft-spoken elder Wildstar twin, Silesia, had answered an exam question that even the present E.S.U.N. Foreign Minister hadn't been able to answer during her time at the institute. The only thing that frustrated the professors was that neither sister thought that their reasoning skills were that high. They assumed that their ability was normal for students their age. When asked how they had learned how to figure things out like the do, both Silesia and Millennia could only shrug their shoulders and say that whenever their father, Ivan Wildstar was in town, he often drew them into conversations where they had to figure stuff out.

Now with their father being his usual self and not giving them a solid answer, a part of Millennia's mind started the process of unraveling the conundrum posed to her by their father. Next to her Millennia could feel the invisible vibe flowing off of her older (by forty-five seconds) sister that told her Silesia was feeling the same way. Settling down next to Silesia, Millennia tasked her subconsicousness to work on the evasive answer their father had given to her question. Confident in her ability and with her sister's input that they would reach an answer by the time they landed on Earth, Millennia Tanisius and her older sister settled in to watch the video given to them by their grandmother.

Hours later, Devon passed through the cabin on his way to the lavatory. Checking on his daughters, he wasn't surprised to find the pair fast asleep in their seats. Stifling a chuckle and continuing on his quest, Devon reminded himself to get a pair of blankets from the closet to cover the twins as they slumbered in their reclined seats. With a fatherly smile, Devon continued on his way to the aft end of the shuttle. A few minutes later when he returned to the cabin, Devon stopped and covered the sleeping girls with their favorite blankets. He saw from the looks on their sleeping faces that they fell asleep thinking about his evasive answer to Millennia's question earlier. Once he was sure that the girls would be warm as they slept, Devon placed a fatherly kiss on their foreheads and stepped over to the galley and pulled a bottle of soda out of the fridge to assuage his thirst and keep him alert. Hearing a sound, he turned around and saw Silesia with a sleepy look on her face.

"Daddy, I was a bit thirsty and came to get something to drink.", yawned Silesia.

"It's okay. I'll fix you a cup of juice to drink. I'll fix one for Millennia also since I know that she'll probably be waking up thirsty herself soon. After you finish your juice I want you to go ahead and go back to sleep. The two of you need your rest.", answered Devon as he poured two cups of juice and placed them on the counter.

"Okay dad. I'll do that. I'll leave a note for Millennia to come and get her cup when she wakes up.", yawned Silesia again as she reached for the cup her father handed her.

Finishing her drink, Silesia headed back to her seat. Devon watched as she dropped into her chair and drifted off almost immediately. Taking the time to observe his daughters while the slept, Devon sipped his soda. Finishing it and tossing the bottle in the trash, the Preventor made his way back to the cockpit and sat down in the left seat. Strapping himself in again, Devon brought up his course on one of his secondary nav screens and saw that the autopilot would be making a course change and entering the Earth orbit shuttle lanes in an hour. Sighing to himself, he prepared to contact orbit control on their assigned frequency and let them know he was in their area of responsibility until he went for atmospheric insertion. The radio chirped at the assigned time with the orbit controller.

"Tanisius Security Technologies, Limited Executive Shuttle Three Alpha, Orbit Control. State your departure point, flight plan, and destination for verification.", came the almost robotic voice of the controller.

"Orbit Control, T.S.T., Limited Shuttle Three Alpha. I departed from Tanisius Colony four hours ago. I filed an executive instrument flight plan through proprietary company space. My destination is Brussels Shuttleport on Earth. Brussels, Belgium.", replied Devon as he adjusted the controls for the cockpit climate.

"Shuttle Three Alpha, Orbit Control. Wait one while I verify your flight plan."

"Copy that."

A few minutes later, the controller called Devon with his verification of Devon's flight plan and directed him to join one of the busy space transit lanes for orbital insertion. The controller slotted Devon's shuttle in between a private shuttle headed to Earth from Colony L-2 and a bulk ore carrying shuttle from the mines on Mars. When Devon slipped the shuttle into his assigned space without any problems, the controller goggled at the feat. Usually it took those Executive Shuttle pilots forever to get the approach vectors right and get into position. This pilot didn't need any unnecessary calls to guide him in to place.

_**"Well those T.S.T. Limited shuttle pilots are supposed to be the best. I haven't seen any of them make any mistakes in my years of pulling this duty. Man I wonder how much trouble the controllers on that colony have to deal with? I bet they make a respectable salary thought. Maybe I should see if they have any job openings.", **__mused the controller as he watched the blip that denoted T.S.T. Limited Executive Shuttle Three Alpha on his screen continue on its way before turning his attention to the next shuttle in line. _

The controller sighed as he recognized the approaching shuttle. The pilots from this shuttle line always had problems and he probably would need to baby-sit the moronic crew and make sure they did everything right, again. Psyching himself up for the battle of wills he was about to undergo, the controller looked at the clock to see how much time he had left in his shift. As usual, the damn clock was acting up again and it looked like he had three more hours to go.

Back aboard Shuttle Three Alpha, Devon reset the flight clock to Earth Normal Time from the time it was set to on the colony. When the clock synchronized with the time on Earth, he leaned back in his seat and continued to monitor his instrument panel for any warning lights. So far the autopilot had been doing a good job and he was loath to upset its programming with a macho display of hand flying the shuttle through space. Devon wasn't one to fall prey to that fatal habit. He had too many better things to do in his life than to become victim to pride.

Seeing that everything was alright with his craft, Devon returned his attention to the windscreen in front of him. In the distance he could make out the lights of the shuttle from L-2 several thousand kilometers ahead. Just beyond it, he could see the side of the planet that was presently at night as Earth rotated on its axis. Each time he saw his home planet from space, it gave him chills of wonder and awe. Earth represented the past, present, and future for all of humankind. Yes there were inhabited colonies in space and settlements on Mars, but Earth was the birth place of mankind and home to all people no matter where they lived.

The beeping of the autopilot as it began its course correction jarred Devon from his study of the wondrous sight that was Earth as it looked from space. A quick glance at the clock showed Devon that he'd been lost in his stargazing for over an hour and that realization startled him. He usually didn't allow his mind to wander off like that. Sitting up and stretching in his seat, Devon cracked his knuckles as he prepared to program the final autopilot course changes for entrance into the Earth's atmosphere. Once that was done, the Preventor got out of his seat and went back to the galley to fill his coffee mug. Returning to the cockpit, Devon saw that everything was alright. Reaching into his pocket, Devon pulled out his phone and dialed a number from memory.

"Hello"

"It's me. I'm just calling to let you know that we'll be landing at the shuttleport in about two and a half hours. The twins are asleep in the back and don't know where we're going to spend the remainder of the night. They asked but I evaded the question. Before they drifted off, they were trying to figure it out. I didn't give them any hints but I can tell they're curious and want to figure out the answer.", answered Devon as he heard the familiar voice on the other end of the line.

"You're a cruel bastard Devon. Making the girls think like that. You should've just told them. I mean, it's not every night a preteen gets to spend the night in an honest to god castle. No matter how small it is."

"I know, I know. I just wanted to surprise them. The two of them did pretty well on their final exams and from what I can gather when they think I'm not listening, they had a blast at the Institute's Winter Ball. Of course, I think that bit of excitement was the fact that they were escorted by Morgan Tanisius and he treated them extremely well."

The voice on the other end of the line chuckled as its owner remembered a Christmas conversation with Lady Une and her daughter Duchess Khushrenada. Marimaia had been laughing about how pissed off her friend Aziza Barkari had been when it became apparent that her plan to get the young duchess hooked up with the quietly dashing young man many girls at St. Gabriel's Institute wanted had been foiled by the father of the Wildstar Twins.

"So, when are you going to tell them?"

"I'm not. They'll realize where we are when they wake up. They've seen pictures of your families' home online, on the television, in the paper, etc. Once they wake up and are given ample enough time to look around, they'll figure it out."

"It'll be a little bit intimidating to them at first, like it was for me when I first moved here so many years ago. But I believe they'll adapt to it fairly well."

"Of course they will! In six years, they've adapted to everything life has thrown at them. Remember, after their parents died when they were young, the two of them adapted to living on their own pretty well even if they couldn't speak each other's language until I taught them to.", replied Devon with a knowing tone to his voice.

Devon double checked his instruments and saw that his final course change was coming up and mentioned it to his conversation partner. The voice on the other end acknowledged his point and let Devon close out the conversation so he could concentrate on taking the shuttle off of autopilot and hand flying it in for landing. When the headset was replaced on its base, the other participant in the conversation turned to the left and faced the elderly gentleman standing there whose uniform-despite the late hour-still looked as if it had came right off the ironing board.

"Thomas, they're about two and a half hours out and should be coming up on atmospheric insertion in preparation for a turn to the runway heading and commencing their final approach. Please prepare the car. Remember, you're to bypass the Tanisius Security Technologies, Limited hanger, park in front of the Vigilante Aerial Photography hanger, and turn off the lights. We don't want those incompetent idiots from the press sniffing around tonight.", stated the seated figure.

"Yes milady. The limousine is ready and waiting. Shall we depart for the shuttleport ma'am?", replied Thomas as he executed a very formal half bow and extended his hand to help the lady of the house to her feet.

"Yes we shall. I want to be there waiting for them when they disembark from the shuttle. The bedroom for the twins, is it ready for them? They're asleep right now but when they land they may awaken for a bit. I would like their transition from the car to their room to be done with the minimum of fuss. You'll probably have to help Mr. Wildstar with his daughters when we arrive at the manor. Wake-up Jan and have her lay out some of my old night dresses for the twins to use while they are here."

"Yes milady. I'll ring Jan straight away and have her prepare the garments you request for the young mistresses. Pardon my rudeness milady, but in which room will Mr. Wildstar be staying while he and his family are here?", asked Thomas as he led the way to the side entrance where the limo waited.

The Thirteenth Baroness of the Noventa Barony glanced at her butler with a smirk of superiority.

"Do you even have to ask, Thomas? Ivan Wildstar will be staying and sleeping in my room while they are here of course.", replied Sylvia Rene Noelle Noventa as she smoothed the fabric of the ankle-length skirt she was wearing.

In response, Thomas just shook his head. He should've known that Baroness Sylvia was going to say that. Thomas knew who Ivan Wildstar really was. In fact it had been the butler's idea for the young couple to use Tanisius' alter ego persona whenever they wanted to be together. He'd talked to his friend Pagan about it in passing and the young whippersnapper had agreed although he didn't know what he was agreeing to. Sighing to himself as he opened the door for the young woman a few steps behind him, Thomas exited Noventa Manor and looked around as he made his way to the door of the idling limousine and opened the door for the Vice Foreign Minister.

Holding the massive door open as Sylvia maneuvered her voluptuously lithe and full-figured body into the cavernous backseat, Thomas waited for V.F.M. Noventa to situate herself before closing the door and making his way to the driver's door and settling his elderly frame behind the steering wheel with the ease of someone many years his junior. Putting his seat belt on and making sure his sidearm was secured under the dash within reach, Thomas put the big vehicle in gear and gave it a little bit of gas. Pulling through the double iron gates with the Noventa Family Crest centered in the middle, the old butler pointed the vehicle in the direction of the Brussels Shuttleport.

Back aboard the shuttle, Devon was hand flying the shuttle through the wind currents he knew were present in the atmosphere. Presently, the shuttle was approaching its final approach several miles behind a cargo shuttle stopping in Brussels midway through its flight from L-5 to New York. The weather was fine with low speed winds blowing down the runway heading that was causing a slight burble at the end of the runway.

Keeping his head moving from his instrument panel to his view out the windscreen was starting to affect Devon's exhausted body and it was taking him milliseconds longer to refocus on each instrument as his gaze slid over them. Yawning, Devon brought his attention back out from the cockpit to the view outside in the dark sky. A few miles ahead, he could see the anti-collision beacons of the heavy shuttle flashing in their repetitive patterns the bigger shuttle shouldered its way through the sky. Though he was in contact with Brussels Tower, Devon was waiting for the right time before calling them and checking in. From what he could hear, they were fairly busy and he didn't want to impinge upon that right at the moment. His little hiatus from contacting the tower didn't last long though. One of the controllers gave him a call.

"Tanisius Security Technologies, Limited Executive Shuttle Three Alpha, Brussels Tower, can you squawk three-seven-three-one and identify."

"T.S.T. Shuttle Three Alpha, squawking three-seven-three-one for identification, Tower. Everything alright, you guys sound busy down there.", answered Devon as he punched in the four number code that would identify him on their radar screens.

"Three Alpha you wouldn't believe how our night has gone so far. Due to a heavy storm over the ocean, we're getting a lot of flights that are diverting around the storm and into our area of responsibility. Plus a couple of cancellations on the ground here due to circumstances that weren't passed on to us.", complained the controller as he checked his screen for the blip that saw Tanisius Security Technologies, Limited Executive Shuttle Three Alpha.

When he found it, the controller saw that whoever the pilot of shuttle Three Alpha was knew his business and had the shuttle within a few feet of where the arrival controllers had slipped him into the conga line of departing and arriving aircraft and shuttles. On the shuttle, Devon activated his landing lights and lowered his gear and flaps. As the shuttle dropped a few feet, he smoothly gave it a nudge of power to keep him on the glide path.

"Brussels Tower, T.S.T. Shuttle Three Alpha, my gear is down and locked requesting permission to land."

"Shuttle Three Alpha, you're cleared to land on runway One-Four Left. I confirm your gear is down and locked. Once you are on the ground, contact ground control for the vector towards the T.S.T. Limited Executive Shuttle Hangar. Watch for taxiing traffic at your four o'clock when you turn off of active runway on to taxiway Alpha-Seven. Three Alpha, easy on the brakes tonight, we got patches of ice on runway and taxiways. Be careful and welcome home."

"Three Alpha copies, One-Four Left to taxiway Alpha-Seven. Watch for ice on runway and taxiways. Thanks Tower, it's good to be home. I hope you had a Merry Christmas and I wish you a Happy New Year.", replied Devon as he eased the shuttle down on to the concrete and asphalt runway with a gentle touch so as to not hit any unseen ice.

The controller double clicked his mic in acknowledgement before turning his attention to the next shuttle in line. The flight crew looked like they had their hands full and with a macabre chuckle; the controller saw that the shuttle was painted in the livery of one of the shuttle lines tied to the Winner Corporation.

Across the field, Devon was turning on to his assigned taxiway and easing the shuttle along under minimal power. With a tap of the brakes to see if they would hold if needed, Devon turned his attention to his post-flight checks and shutdown checklist. Midway through his mental processes, the sniper turned the shuttle on to the Tanisius Security Technologies, Limited Shuttle ramp area and started looking for the pair of lighted wands that signified his parking space. Spotting the linesman with the wands and following his directions, Devon turned the shuttle with the nose wheel steering apparatus and followed his directions. Devon was a little concerned when the linesman, after a few minutes of guiding him, passed Devon off to another linesman standing just inside the hangar with his own pair of wands up over his head. Cursing to himself and tired from all the flying, Devon steered the shuttle into the hangar and pulled the shuttle into the spot where he saw another group of linesmen ready with three sets of chocks and a conveyor belt for the bags. Standing next to the group was a trio of animal handlers just for his panthers.

Following the directions given to him by the movement of the lighted wands, Devon brought the shuttle to a stop in exactly the place indicated by the handler. Holding the brakes with his feet while waiting to receive the signal that told him his wheels were chocked, Devon started the engine shut down checklist. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the correct signal given and acknowledged it with a raised thumb before lifting his feet off of the brakes and switching the power systems over from the auxiliary power unit to the ground power unit. Once that task was completed, Devon unstrapped himself from the pilots' seat and exited the shuttles flight deck.

Entering the cabin, the Preventor Agent made his way over and undid the latches that kept the hatch securely closed but didn't open it. He wanted to wait until the ground crew rolled the stairs up to the hatchway. They wouldn't do that until the baggage compartment was halfway empty. When they did bring the stairs around to the door, Devon was waiting for the knock on the door that signified the ground crew was ready to open the hatchway.

Answering their knock with one of his own, Devon strode towards the back of the cabin and retrieved the carry on bags and the leashes for Rhahorus and Isis. Snapping the leashes on and leading them to the main cabin, Devon passed the leashes to the waiting handlers and watched as his two panthers were loaded into large cages for transfer to the quarantine area for the requisite sixty day stay until they could be returned to his place of residence. Returning to the cabin where he'd dropped the carry on bags, Devon rooted around in his bag for the eye patch he was going to wear for the remainder of the night.

Waking up Silesia and Millennia, Devon led the girls to the hatchway where they had to stand aside and let the ground crew enter the shuttle to clean and sanitize the shuttle so that the employees of Tanisius Security Technologies who usually used this particular shuttle wouldn't know who had used it. Once the stairs were cleared, Devon led his daughters out the hatchway and down the stairs to the waiting van that was going to transport them over to the other side of the shuttleport where they ride would be waiting. Climbing into the shuttle van and leaning back in his seat while his daughters situated themselves in their seats and returned to dreamland, Devon sighed to himself. He was happy he didn't have to drive his family across the tarmac; he was too tired to do that.

The trip across the tarmac didn't take long and before Devon knew it, the crew van pulled up to the hanger of his alter ego's Vigilante Aerial Photography hangar. Using the key left for him by Chester the manager of the hanger, Devon unlocked the door and motioned the van to pull inside the hanger. When the van had stopped by the doors opening onto the front lawn of the business, Devon unlocked the front door and glanced out. Seeing the waiting limo, he motioned for the driver to come and give him a hand. Devon smothered a grin when he saw the elderly Noventa butler climb out of the vehicle and start in his direction.

"Mr. Wildstar, welcome home and how nice to see you again. I hope you enjoyed your Christmas with the Tanisius Family.", commented the butler as he helped the van driver open and unload the luggage from the back of the van.

"Thank you Thomas. Indeed we did enjoy the Christmas with the Tanisius Family. They treated my daughters and I as if we were a part of the family. How was your Christmas, did the vice foreign minister enjoy her holiday?"

"Yes she did even though Foreign Minister Yuy did phone and verbally reprimand her about her actions the other week. Lady Sylvia and Baroness Sophia were extremely delighted to receive their presents. I believe that they were a bit surprised when the Tanisius Security Technologies, Limited courier delivered the items on Christmas morning an hour after the baroness and her granddaughter had risen for the day. Of course he seemed to be in an extremely good mood for a courier delivering a package on a holiday.", said Thomas a bit leadingly as he closed the limo's trunk.

Devon sniggered a bit before replying.

"Thomas, the gentleman who couriered those gifts here wasn't a courier per se, he is one of the senior vice presidents of T.S.T, Limited. When he was asked to make the delivery by Mr. Tanisius, he agreed even though it meant that he would miss Christmas with his own family. Mr. Tanisius compensated him extremely well and promised him and his family a two month long vacation for his work. The gentleman departed the Tanisius Colony the night before on a special executive shuttle.", answered Devon as he returned to the van to extricate his daughters from its interior.

For the first time in his life, Thomas was at a loss for words. A senior vice president from one of the top private security firms in the E.S.U.N., personally left the colony owned by the company and delivered a package to Earth on a holiday for a non-family member? That was inconceivable to him with all of his years of experience dealing with the Noventa Family and the place in hierarchy of Romafeller Foundation Families. For the first time in a long time, Thomas' interest for useful intelligence was peaked. Just who was Ivan Wildstar (a.k.a. Devon Tanisius) to have one of the most private families he's known to do something like they did. From that point on Thomas started looking at Lady Sylvia's chosen in a new light.

Devon cast a glance at the elder man and saw the look that flared behind those inquisitive and steel green eyes and knew what Thomas was thinking. Catching the other man's eye, Devon gave him a subtle shake of his head to warn him off of speculating about the state of his relationship (as Ivan Wildstar) with the Tanisius Family. Closing the door once Silesia and Millennia were sleepily standing outside the van, the sniper made his way to the butler standing by limo's door. Putting a questioning tone in his voice, Devon asked the butler a question.

"Thomas, did Lady Sylvia come with you or is she asleep at the manor?"

"Sir, I believe you know the answer to that question already.", replied Thomas in a teasing voice as he opened the rear door of the vehicle.

Devon was about to say more when a delicate heel attached to a set of long familiar legs covered by a skirt stepped out of the car and on to the hard packed snow on the ground. It was followed by its identical twin and soon the five foot eleven inch and full-figured Earth Sphere United Nation Vice Foreign Minister was standing demurely next to the limo with her hands clasped in front of her. Around her neck glinted the exquisitely designed choker necklace, Devon had commissioned a few months before. It consisted of a large emerald in a setting of small carat diamonds. At the four corners of the emerald sat four medium-sized black diamonds. Devon had chosen the stones and the setting to set off Sylvia's dark green eyes. He chose the black and white diamonds to complement, yet no take away from, the brilliant emerald gleaming in the center of the necklace.

"Welcome home Mon Chevalier Noir Affectueux.", stated Sylvia in the sultry voice that promised many things he remembered so well.

"Thank you La Mia Principessa Eterea DellAvorio. It is good to be home.", answered Devon in the mellow baritone she'd dreamt about over the course of the last two weeks.

Thomas watched the non-verbal interaction between his charge and her lover as he comfortably situated the pair of sleepy preteens inside the limo. Shaking his head twice, the elderly butler averted his gaze as the two star struck lovers slowly came together in a passionate embrace. When he'd finished buckling the twins in, Thomas pulled his head out of the vehicles' interior and stood by the open door waiting. It wasn't long before the VFM and her lover were pulling themselves inside the limo giggling like teenagers. Clearing his throat, Thomas reminded the pair of twenty-one year olds to restrain from certain affectionate displays and to keep their noise down since Mistress Silesia and Mistress Millennia were still asleep. Sylvia and Devon acknowledged the reprimand in their own ways: the young baroness pouted in frustration while beau yawned in exhaustion.

Closing the door behind the two, Thomas made his way back up to the front of the car and climbed in to the driver's seat. He buckled himself in and started the engine for the trip back to Noventa Manor while activating the radio system and raising the privacy curtain between the front and back of the limousine. The trip back to the Noventa Family Estate took less than thirty minutes. Once Thomas shut off the engine and climbed out of the vehicle in the circular driveway, the car was besieged by a trio of his subordinates. Making his way to the rear door of the vehicle so Baroness Sylvia and her chosen one could disembark, Thomas was joined by Lady Sylvia's personal maid Jan.

"Thomas."

"Jan."

"Did Lady Sylvia behave herself? Are the young mistresses alright?", asked the maid with a slightly apprehensive tone in her voice.

Thomas chuckled humorously. It so in character for the personal maid to the Thirteenth Baroness of the Noventa Barony to worry about her charge even on a short trip to the shuttleport to pick up the baronesses lover.

"Don't worry Jan, Lady Sylvia behaved wonderfully. She stayed in the vehicle until we finished loading the luggage. On the ride back, I couldn't hear anything coming from the rear of the car. I had to remind them about their decorum at first but I think they understood. Lady Sylvia pouted a bit though. Mistress Silesia Wildstar and Mistress Millennia Wildstar are fine. They are more than likely asleep since Mr. Wildstar and I had to wake them up to get them into the limo.", replied Thomas as he unlatched the door.

Jan nodded and waved over two of her subordinates to help with the two young ladies they'd been informed were arriving with Mr. Wildstar. Bending down to help the twins exit the limo Jan opened her mouth to speak but shut it when she saw the tableau that awaited her inside. Her quiet exhalation of surprise floated on whispered wings to those in the immediate vicinity of the open door. Thomas heard the exhalation and looked inside. He had to stifle a laugh as he saw the four people seated in the back of the limo.

Sylvia Rene Noelle Noventa; the Thirteenth Baroness of the Noventa Barony was sitting with her arm draped around her beloved as he soundly slept with his head resting on Sylvia's shoulder . Snuggled up beside the baroness were her beloved's sleeping twin daughters, Silesia and Millennia Wildstar.

Jan looked at her charge and saw the love in the dark green irises signaling her not to say anything to disturb the setting. Sighing to herself, Jan shook her head. She approved of the young man Lady Sylvia had chosen to be with and knew that in the future lay the possibility of a beautiful wedding between the two.

"Jan, wake up the twins and have them escorted to their quarters. They're only eleven years old and they need as much sleep as they can get. Thomas, help get this big sleeping oaf of a man upstairs. Once he's upstairs your duties to me have been discharged for the remainder of what's left of the night. I want the both of you and your subordinates to go home and get some sleep. I'll take care of Mr. Wildstar by myself.", commanded Sylvia quietly.

Jan was about to protest when she saw the stubborn look in Sylvia's eyes and caught the rapid shake of the head from Thomas. In the hierarchy of the servants, Thomas was the ultimate authority. Shrugging her shoulders and assisting the two maids assigned to her, Jan was able to wake up the preteen girls and start them moving towards the manor. Returning her attention to the limo, Jan helped Sylvia exit then moved out of the way as her twenty-one year old mistress turned back to the car and helped Thomas extricate Mr. Wildstar from the vehicle. Once Wildstar was (somewhat) steady on his feet; Jan followed Sylvia as she led the exhausted pilot (with a little help from the butler) into the manor and up the stairs.

At the top of the stairs, Jan excused herself and made her way down the hall to check on the twins. When she entered the room set aside for their use, her assistant informed her that everything was alright and the twins had been given the nightdresses laid aside for them, climbed into their respective beds, and drifted right back off to dreamland. Nodding her acknowledgment of the report, Jan told her aide that she was finished for the day and to go home and be with her own family. Waiting for the sound of the assistants footsteps to float down the hallway, Jan entered the room and checked on the sleeping twins herself. Seeing that the little girls were fine, Jan smiled and closed the door behind her as she exited the room. The twenty-nine year old servant to the VFM happily sighed to herself. Straightening up from her slight slouch, Jan left the area and hustled up the hall to where Lady Sylvia's room was. She arrived in time to see Sylvia lead Mr. Wildstar (a bit more awake this time) into her room and dismiss Thomas and his assistants for the evening.

"Jan, I need for you to one thing for us before you leave for the evening. Can you retrieve that package I brought home the other day and bring it up here? Once you have, leave instructions for the morning shift to not disturb us till after ten in the morning. Also, I don't know what time the twins will wake up but tell the morning crew to have the chef or one of her assistants prepare breakfast.", Sylvia said as she helped Devon over to her bed and started to undo the button on his shirt."

"Yes milady. I'll take care of that.", started Jan, only to be interrupted by another voice.

"Jan, don't worry about having the chef cook breakfast. Let the chef sleep, I'll cook breakfast for Mr. Wildstar's daughters. Just have the morning shift let me know when the wake up. Now why don't you go ahead and retrieve that package my granddaughter asked you to get and bring it here. Once you have, go home and spend the rest of the night with your family. Tomorrow consider yourself and the rest of your contemporaries on vacation for the next week or so.", floated the cultured voice of Sophia Ophelia Noventa from behind her.

Jan whirled around and started to curtsy but a soft hand on her shoulder bade her to stand. Behind her, Jan heard Sylvia grunt as she rose to her feet and hauled her semi-awake but aware lover to her side.

"Grandmother!! What are you doing awake?"

"I heard the car leave earlier and wondered where Thomas could be going that late at night. The sudden activity caused by your return was almost impossible to ignore. My personal maid told me what was transpiring and here I am.", stated Sophia with a twinkle in her eyes.

Jan watched as the younger baroness glared at her grandmother. It was a comical sight as Mr. Wildstar blearily glanced from one baroness to the other while Lady Sylvia thought on her predecessors words. Jan almost choked when her charge replied.

"Pardon me for saying this grandmother but your explanation was bullshit."

Sophia lifted an eyebrow in humor before chuckling and retorting to the accusation.

"You're right Sylvia dear; I just wanted to see the man to whom you've given your heart, among other things. Goodnight dear, I'll see you later today and we can talk some more. Goodnight Mr. Wildstar.", said the Eleventh Baroness of the Noventa Barony before turning and gliding off like a majestic cruise ship in the night with barely a rustle from her robes.

"Goodnight Milady and I thank you for allowing my daughters and I to stay here tonight.", came the slightly slurred reply from Ivan Wildstar.

Sophia Noventa stopped, glanced back once and nodded at the young man with another twinkle in her eyes before reminding Jan about her orders before continuing on to her suite of rooms. Jan acknowledged the orders and headed downstairs while Sylvia continued undressing her chosen one. A few minutes later, Jan had returned and dropped off the package with her charge before heading for her little cottage on the grounds of the estate. Her husband was waiting for her.

Once her personal maid was gone for the evening, Sylvia sighed in relief. Now she could spend time with her beloved in her own room. Casting a quick glance at the door to her bathroom where Devon was presently taking a warm shower to wash off the grit from his flight, Sylvia opened the package and placed the new garments on the bed. Slipping out of the skirt and shirt she wore to the airport, she slipped into the robe lying across the chair of her dressing table.

"Devon.", called Sylvia.

"Yes."

"I have something for you."

"Just place it on the counter and I'll be right out."

"Okay."

Sylvia opened the door to the sink area of the bathroom and laid the package on the counter next to one of the sinks. Closing the door and stepping back over to the bed, she waited.

When Devon climbed out of the shower and dried off, he stepped over to the sink and saw the package Sylvia had mentioned to him. Stifling a smile as he opened the wrapping, Devon chuckled as he slipped his legs into the dark blue satin pajama pants. Putting on the matching shirt and leaving it unbuttoned, Devon stepped from the bathroom and stopped. Sylvia stood beside the bed waiting for him. He noticed that she'd lit some candles while he'd been in the shower. Turning to his lover (who was rapidly become something more in his mind), Devon allowed a gasp to slip out as Sylvia undid her robe and let it slip silently off of her shoulders. He took in the sight in front of him with a noticeable hitch in his breathing.

Sylvia was wearing her Christmas gift and nothing else.

On silent feet that had minds of their own; Devon slowly stepped over to the beauty in front of h im. Taking one look at her firm skin and searching eyes of green, he scooped his goddess in to his arms and carefully laid her down on the silk sheets. Once Sylvia was positioned on the bed, he climbed in himself. As he climbed in, Sylvia reached up and captured his lips with her own and pulled him down to her supine form.

"Merry Christmas, my love. And welcome home.", whispered Sylvia as her hands slowly, teasingly, gently slipped the sleeping shirt off of his shoulders and the pants down his legs.

When skin met skin, the ancient and familiar tango of passion delayed began.

A couple hours later, Sylvia disentangled her nude form from her sleeping lover and climbed out of the queen-sized bed. Padding over to the box on whisper quiet feet, Sylvia removed the item within and gazed at it with a soft smile. Slipping into a short night dress that matched the pajamas she'd bought for Devon, Sylvia returned to the side of the bed and looked down. Sighing at wait awaited her, the vice foreign minister and thirteenth baroness of the Noventa Barony attempted to get her chosen back into the pajamas he'd discarded when they made love.

After several tries, a slightly vexed Sylvia finally got her boyfriend into his night clothes. Looking down at the sleeping body in her bed, she let her anger dissipate as she watched his gentle snoring. Absentmindedly brushing an errant curl off of his forehead, Sylva climbed in to bed and settled herself comfortable in her usual position. Closing her eyes, she let herself start to drift off into slumber. Before she was completely under the spell of sleep, her subconsicousness felt her mattress move as Devon shifted his position and wrapped his arms around her as he dreamed on. Unknown to either of them, their breathing synchronized as they both settled into a deeper sleep.

That was the tableau that presented itself to The Eleventh Baroness of the Noventa Barony, Sophia Ophelia Noventa, when she quietly entered the bedroom a few hours later to check on her granddaughter and her granddaughters chosen. Seeing that the sleeping couple had somehow kicked off the comforter covering them as they slept, Baroness Sophia stepped over to the bed and replaced the blanket over the couple after offering up a warm grandmotherly grin at the sight of the matching pajamas the two were attired in. Returning to Sylvia's nightstand to retrieve the camera she'd placed there, the elderly baroness brought the camera to her eyes and waited for the right moment to take the picture. When it came, Sophia snapped the photo and quietly withdrew from the room after kissing the sleeping couple on their foreheads.

"Goodnight Baroness Sylvia Rene Noelle Noventa. Goodnight Ivan Wildstar. I hope you have sweet dreams.", murmured Sophia as she opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

With the hem of her red velvet robe brushing along the top of the carpet, Baroness Sophia Ophelia Noventa returned to her bedroom with a soft smile on her face. She'd develop the pictures she'd taken that night later during the day. Once they were developed, she'd place them in her photo album of treasured family memories that wouldn't be shown to anyone outside of the family. Within its ancient bindings, that album had over three hundred years of Noventa Family memories. From births, to graduations, to marriages, to deaths, every member of the Noventa Family for the last three hundred plus years had at least one picture in the album. With the new pictures she'd taken of Sylvia, her boyfriend, and her boyfriends' twin daughters, Sophia was sure the Noventa Family line had an exceedingly bright future.

Entering her bedroom, the sixty-five year old head of the household placed the camera on her dresser, slipped out of her classically magnificent robe and climbed into her king-sized bed. Covering herself with the handmade quilt with its embroidered design of her and her late husband on their wedding day, Baroness Sophia Ophelia Noventa drifted off to sleep. She needed her rest if she was going to be up to cook breakfast with the precocious pair of eleven year young ladies asleep in their bedroom.

Back in the bedroom of the Vice Foreign Minister, Devon opened one eye and sleepily looked around the room. His senses had detected the presence of another person in the room earlier and he wanted to see who it was. Not seeing anybody, Devon closed his eye, tossed his late awareness up to exhaustion, nuzzled back down in the sheets (to a much appreciated sound from the sleeping Sylvia) and returned to dreamland. Once he was again settled, quiet reigned supreme in Noventa Manor.

Besides, isn't that how things should be for long-separated lovers?

_**Wow, almost two years and ninety-two pages and Chapter Five of 'Sylvia's Solitary Soldier' is finished!! This chapter was not supposed to be this lengthy and take this long to bring out to those readers who're wondering what in the heck is taking the Knightewolfe so long to continue the Saga of Baroness Sylvia Rene Noelle Noventa and Devon Tanisius. Well here it is and I hope you enjoy it. **_

_**Truthfully, this chapter was supposed to be out (like Chapter 4) in between 2005 and 2006. I actually started this chapter in mid to late 2006 after I had nearly finished Chapter 4. As we now know, I was a little bit late in getting Chapter Four out to you (**__**insert sarcastic comments about my severely messed up sense of time here**__**) but what can I say, things like this happen. I apologize most wholeheartedly about getting this chapter out to you almost two years behind schedule. **_

_**The first part of this chapter (as I explained in the end chapter notes of Chapter 4) was supposed to be a slight continuation of Chapter 4. It was, I just got over-descriptive again and added a lot of extra stuff. Oh well, my mistake, hopefully you enjoyed it regardless. At least I did get Devon's adopted daughters introduced and accepted into their new family. As I continued my pre-reading and editing while adding new parts to this chapter, I got the feeling that the extra narration helped in the story itself and the developing family dynamic. At least I did get to the main plot of this chapter (i.e. getting the Tanisius Clan together for Christmas). I would've added more to the vacation itself but I couldn't think of anything to add: Devon had returned to his family's colony with a family of his own. So IMHYBO (In My Humble Yet Biased Opinion) I wrote what I set out to write. **_

_**Now the last part of the chapter (i.e. the return home and arrival at Noventa Manor) was a spur of the moment add on. I wanted to show the closeness that is developing between Devon and Sylvia, Sylvia and Devon's daughters, and the burgeoning sense of family between Devon, Sylvia's Grandmother, and the rest of those in Noventa Manor. It isn't much but I hope it works. Let me know what you think by either reviewing or by private message. I'll answer no matter how long it takes. **_

_**Now somewhere in this narrative, I referred to Devon as one of the princes by those who live on the Tanisius Family Colony (which, btw, needs a name. If any of you have any suggestions, don't hesitate to send them to me). Let me explain the breakdown of the Tanisius Family real quick-like:**_

_**Leopold Sebastian & Brianna Etienne Tanisius: Present Patriarch and Matriarch of the Tanisius Family; CEO and ACEO of Tanisius Security Technologies, Limited. Fifty-six and Fifty-three years old respectively; also known as the Lion and Lioness. Semi-retired assassins. The King and Queen of the entire Tanisius Family. **_

_**Gwendolyn Tanisius: Past Matriarch of the Tanisius Family; Former Head of T.S.T. Limited: Seventy-Eight years old. Formerly known as the Sabretooth. Retired assassin. The Empress of the Family. Member of the family council of Elders (passing mentions of them will be made in the upcoming chapters.)**_

_**Adrienne Nicole Tanisius: Eldest Offspring of the Tanisius Family; President of the all T.S.T, Limited Operations Twenty-Five years old; engaged to be married soon: both Interstellar and International. Known as the Tigress; part-time assassin. Heir apparent and Future head of the family with her husband. Crown Princess of the Family. **_

_**Owen Richard Tanisius: Eldest Son of the Tanisius Family; Vice President of Operations for T.S.T, Limited; Head of T.S.T., Limited offices on Colony L-4; Point of contact between The Winner and Tanisius Families in matters pertaining to the purchase of the Tanisius Family Colony; Twenty-Three years old; soon to be engaged to Fatima Dinarzade Winner. Known as the Leopard. Part-Time Assassin. Second in line to head family with whomever he marries. Crown Prince of the family.**_

_**Devon R., Tanisius: Second Son of the Tanisius Family; Preventor Sniper; Owner of Wildstar Technologies Unlimited as Ivan Wildstar. Twenty-One years old; Assassin known as The Panther. Prodigal Prince of the family; Will be Third in Line to head family. Middle Name will be revealed later. **_

_**Jordan Victoria Tanisius: Youngest Daughter of the Tanisius Family. College Student on L-1; Will become Vice President of Research and Development for T.S.T., Limited upon her graduation and five years of experience as R&D manager. Nineteen Years Old; Assassin; Known as the Cheetah. Blade Princess of the Family; Fourth in Line to head family. **_

_**Morgan Rupert Tanisius: Youngest Offspring of the Tanisius Family. Senior at Saint Gabriel's Institute. Classmate of Duchess Marimaia Khushrenada; has tentative plans to attended college on L-3; Will become Vice President of Science and Technology upon his graduation from college and five years of experience as head scientist. Explosives Prince of the Family. Last in line to head Family after siblings step down. **_

_**I hope that clears up a lot of the mystery about how the members relate to monarchy among those on their colony. If you still have questions, don't hesitate to drop me a line by message and ask. **_

_**Next chapter (Tentatively titled: Wildstar Awakened) is going to deal with the aftermath of Devon and Sylvia's actions after they return from their New Year's vacation as well as the early parts of the next year in their lives. One thing I can tell you now is that the enmity between Heero and Devon is going to come to and even greater head and Devon is going to leave Preventors in a wholly unexpected manner. I may also lay the ground for a relationship between Morgan Tanisius and Marimaia Khushrenada (I haven't decided yet). Finally the wedding of Adrienne Nicole Tanisius will be described. **_

_**This time I won't take over a year to get the next chapter out AND it won't be as long as this chapter. **_

_**For all of those who read this saga, keep the reviews coming. Whether they are good or bad, I'll still answer them when I can. Once again I deeply apologize for taking so long to write this chapter. I also apologize for making this chapter as long as it is. Thank you very much for your patience. I appreciate it more than I can put into words. **_

_**Keep writing, reading, and reviewing! **__****___

_**The Knightewolfe had left the building. But he will return!!**_

_**Knightewolfe.**_

_**Knightewolfe's Lair**_

_**6/083**_


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